September 11, 2025 – LAPS wishes to respond to recent public assertions regarding the Township of Langley’s decision to issue a Notice of Termination to LAPS on September 9, 2025. The Notice can be viewed in full HERE.
LAPS’ Approach to Negotiations with the Township
Recent comments attributed to Township of Langley representatives assert that the Township issued a Notice of Termination to LAPS because LAPS “refused to negotiate a new contract.” That assertion is incorrect.
At no point has LAPS refused, or been unwilling, to negotiate an agreement with the Township.
LAPS has acted in good faith in all correspondence and at every meeting since discussions began last year. LAPS has consistently expressed our desire to serve the community and remain at the Patti Dale Animal Shelter—our home for the past 23 years—under a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. On August 22, 2025, LAPS provided a comprehensive response to a Township proposal. Our response was based on the framework of LAPS providing animal sheltering services, but not bylaw services to the Township, and LAPS remaining at the Patti Dale Animal Shelter. LAPS did not receive any reply from the Township before it issued the Notice of Termination to LAPS on September 9, 2025.
The suggestion that LAPS was not willing to negotiate—or that a 30-day Notice of Termination in respect of all LAPS services was required for the Township to assume responsibility for bylaw control—does not accurately reflect our discussions, nor does it reflect LAPS’ intentions and our long-standing commitment to the animals and community we serve.
LAPS remains committed to operating in good faith, upholding the highest standards of care and accountability, and working toward solutions that prioritize animal welfare and community trust. We remain open to reaching an agreement that will allow us to continue serving the animals and residents of the Township for many years to come.
Regarding the Termination of Services
LAPS also wishes to respond to the Township’s reference, in its September 11, 2025, statement, to the proceeding involving the dog Enzo. The Township asserts that this legal proceeding played a role in assessing the third-party service delivery model. LAPS wishes to clarify that:
- The Township, as noted in their statement, began to explore transitioning bylaw services to municipal control in 2024, following Council direction. This precedes publicity surrounding the matter of the dog Enzo and the recent Court decision regarding the validity of the warrant used to seize Enzo.
- The Township retains ultimate responsibility for bylaw enforcement proceedings, whether under the current third-party services model or if carrying out bylaw control services in-house.
- The Court decision concluded that LAPS officers acted reasonably in fulfilling their enforcement responsibilities and did not provide any cause for termination of services.
Please refer to LAPS’ August 28, 2025, statement for additional details on the Court decision and LAPS’ role as animal services provider to the Township of Langley.