Whether a new SPCA animal shelter is built in Oamaru depends in part on a resource consent application filed with the Waitaki District Council being successful.
A letter to the Otago Daily Times by seven of the organisation's North Otago volunteers questioned what was happening with the SPCA and a shelter in North Otago after the Stuart St premises closed in April last year and the local branch was wound up.
North Otago's functions have been taken over by the national Royal New Zealand SPCA, with Otago providing free of charge an auxiliary officer for North Otago under contract to the national office.
North Otago volunteer Nancy Densem said they were promised they would ''be kept in the loop along the way''.
''All we want is for someone to tell us what is happening and feel like we are part of the new shelter,'' she said.
Inquiries by the Otago Daily Times found a resource consent application had been filed with the council in August by Veterinary Properties Ltd for a new administration office, day drop-off centre and holding area for small animals at 23 Torridge St behind Vetlife Oamaru's centre in Thames St.
Otago SPCA chief executive Sophie McSkimming said that was the only option available for a shelter.
''We would like to do it, but it depends on the resource consent and a couple of other things,'' she said.
One of those was successfully negotiating with the national office to assimilate the North Otago area into Otago.
At present, Otago only had the contract to provide an animal inspectorate through the auxiliary officer.
All other functions, including communicating with volunteers, were with the national office.
An agreement with the national office was close and she hoped it would go ahead otherwise North Otago could have no SPCA.
The resource consent application said the building was for the ''Oamaru branch of the SPCA''.
The proposal is to shift a building owned by the company as a Vetlife branch at Omarama to Oamaru.
It would be placed behind the Torridge St house, which is at present used as extra offices and associated facilities by Vetlife.
The application included a proposal to demolish a double garage and replace it with a building to house bulk storage of retail product and general veterinarian equipment.
Planning manager Peter Kloosterman said the consent application was on hold after further information from the applicant had been requested by the council.
Vetlife Oamaru principal and practice manager Ivan Holloway did not want to comment when contacted.
