A Hamilton councillor wants the city to get involved in pet adoptions by partnering with the Hamilton Burlington SPCA, if it's feasible.

The aim of Coun. Sam Merulla's proposal is to expand the SPCA's adoption capabilities, thus eliminating the need to kill abandoned and stray cats and dogs that the SPCA or rescue groups can't take in because they are full.

The existing practice is that healthy stray or abandoned animals that end up at the city's Animal Control are given to the SPCA or any animal rescue groups able to take them to adopt out.

In an SPCA partnership, "we would purchase vet services from them and we would provide more space for the adoption process," Merulla said.

Animal Control and the SPCA share the same building on Dartnall Road, and the SPCA — a non-profit animal welfare organization — gets most of its animals from Animal Control.

When the SPCA and rescue groups are at capacity, those remaining at Animal Control are euthanized.

Hamilton's Animal Control is reporting a drop in its kill rate of 76 per cent since 2005 — through measures such as using social media to push responsible pet ownership or to announce upcoming euthanizing dates, which entices morepeople to adopt.

In 2014, the city euthanized 120 dogs and 641 cats.

Merulla's goal is to eliminate euthanasia entirely, except in cases where animals are mals too ill or injured to survive.

"We have a kill rate higher than any other municipality … (and it) is unacceptable."

The partnership costs would be negligible because a vacant city building in Stoney Creek can provide the space for additional adoptions, he said.

His notice of motion to city council on Wednesday asks it to direct staff to "assess the feasibility of establishing a City Animal Adoption Service."

SPCA board chair Margaret Strecker tentatively supports the idea and doesn't consider it a duplication of services.

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"It's not like there's a lack of animals to adopt, especially cats," she said/

Strecker said that Hamilton is having another cat crisis because of an overabundance of strays.