Langley saw news both bad and good about the animals that share the community.
On the negative side were the series of animal seizures that took place in and around Langley, starting in February.
On Feb. 4, the SPCA seized 66 neglected dogs and puppies from a site it called a puppy mill, located in Glen Valley.
The 32 adult dogs and 34 puppies had numerous medical issues.
Another raid was made just weeks later on the Langley-Surrey border, where a boarding operation saw 69 cats and 15 dogs seized.
The final major seizure of the year took place in September, when the SPCA took 88 animals, including 45 dogs, 18 cats, and 24 farm animals – such as goats, chickens, ducks, and a turtle – from a home in the 5500 block of 216th Street.
The owner was running an animal rescue operation, and complained publicly about the SPCA seizure.
Despite the bad news, there were also positive stories, such as that of Loriann Sandy, who won $1 million in the last month of 2015. She announced in January last year that she would use the money to help rescue dogs.
On Aug. 13, Langley Township firefighters put pet-friendly oxygen masks to good use and helped three kittens rescued from a house fire in Brookswood. The kittens were rushed to a vet.
This year also saw some lost animals returned home, long after they went missing.
On Jan. 24, a stray chocolate lab was reported to the Patti Dale Animal Shelter. The staff of the Langley Animal Protection Society managed to track down Grizly’s owners – who had lost him 18 months before in the Fraser Heights area of Surrey.
“I think it’s a total, true miracle,” said owner Patti De Vincenzi.
