Airdrie City council still wasn’t happy with the proposed Animal Control Bylaw, brought back before it on May 19 and have asked staff to go away and come back with more information about some crucial issues.
One of those issues is including the control of cats in the bylaw, something Deputy Mayor Candice Kolson said she felt very strongly about.
“I don’t understand why in this bylaw we say that dogs can’t be getting into people’s yards, into their garbage and digging in flower beds, and we do not address the fact that cats are allowed at large over and over again,” Kolson said. “If a cat can get into my garbage, then my dog should be able to be at large. You cannot distinguish one from the other, At large is at large.”
Darryl Poburan, Manager Municipal Enforcement said part of the reason cats were not included in the proposed bylaw was because of the cost.
“We need to determine the consequences - are taxpayers willing to fund that,” he said. “We’ve looked at other communities that have cat bylaws and only about 50 per cent of cats are licensed within three years. Are they working? No.”
Poburan said the cost to operate the existing dog licensing program and enforcement is approximately $300,000 per year and to implement a program for cats would double that number.
According to Poburan, approximately $50,000 per year is recouped through the payment of fees and tickets.
“I like a lot of the things in this bylaw,” Kolson said, “but cats need to be addressed. With the cat population being the size it’s anticipated to be, to not have them dealt with, to me, is just mind boggling.”
Alderman Ron Chapman agreed with Kolson that cats need to be included in the proposed bylaw.
“It’s an animal control bylaw. Cats are animals,” he said. “It’s the number one thing people are talkling to me about, is cats in their backyards.”
Chapman also questioned the inclusion of a section in the bylaw that would prohibit dogs from putting their heads out an open or partially open vehicle window, when the vehicle is in motion or stopped.
Poburan said the section had been included because the potential that a dog might be injuried - while the vehicle was moving - or injure a human - while the vehicle was stopped - was high. However, when pressed by Chapman, Poburan admitted no one had ever been issued a citation because their dog bite someone while having its head out a vehicle window.
Kolson said she had been approached by a number of residents including those who foster dogs and also people who operate dog-walking and other pet specific companies in Airdrie, with concerns about the proposed bylaw. Their concerns centred around proposed limts on leash lengths, behaviour at off leash parks and definitions within the bylaw regarding what constitutes an aggressive dog or aggressive barking.
How best to communicate the content of the bylaw to pet owners was also raised as an issue by council.
Alderman Darrell Beylk suggested dog owners be required to read and sign a copy of the bylaw when getting their yearly dog license.
Other issues members of council had questions about included a proposed limit of three for the number of dogs allowed in one residence, fees for foster dogs and rules for off leash parks.
Council unanimously supported a motion made by Chapman to return the bylaw to staff to provide more information about the issues raised at the council meeting. Council also directed staff to look at ways of including cats in the bylaw.
Poburan said staff would likely recommend a system that would allow residents to use a trap to catch a cat on their own property. The traps would be available for a fee or a deposit to ensure the traps are returned to the City. This system is used in Calgary, according to Poburan.
