Dog trainer upset about losing space at Moncton community centre

A Moncton woman is frustrated and speaking out about losing space at a community centre that will become a temporary homeless shelter in the near future.

April Saulnier trains dogs two days per week at the Moncton Lions Community Centre.

Moncton city council announced last week the building will be a shelter for the city's rising homeless population, meaning all programming at the building will have to cease. The building is owned by the city.

Saulnier, who has 60 clients, says the dog training courses are her main source of income and she now needs to find a new workspace.

She's glad a shelter has been announced and is sympathetic to the plight of people experiencing homelessness, but the short notice to vacate the space has left her scrambling.

"Originally, we were told we could stay until the Christmas break. The centre closes for two weeks for Christmas, so that was already pre-planned,” Saulnier tells CTV Atlantic. “This week, they told us they were cutting that short, so we have to be out by Dec. 9, so that's a bit of a quick change.”

Saulnier said unfortunately with dogs, it's very difficult to find a place to go.

"Most people hesitate to allow dogs into buildings even if we're following all rules and recommendations,” she said. “It seems to be a challenge.”

Saulnier says since the building is a seniors centre, the focus is on trying to find new places for their programs to be held.

In a Facebook post, Saulnier said she's called 130 places in the Greater Moncton area and she's still waiting on some boards to approve her dog training courses.

"I’ve called every open space, every church, every place I could possibly think of. I’ve used every connection I’ve built," said Saulnier in Friday's post.

Saulnier went on to say she knows the shelter is much needed, but she's finding it hard to deal with the fact she's lost the venue where she earns a living.

"This is my job and how I support my children," she wrote on Facebook. "Why are we taking from one hand and giving to another without any additional thought to working small businesses?"

Moncton Deputy Mayor Bryan Butler told CTV News last week the shelter will have somewhere between 80 and 100 beds and will open on Jan. 1 at the latest.