NIPAWIN — Nipawin owners of any animals that have been declared by a judge to be dangerous will be required to display signage on their property following incidents in town.
“We are presently dealing with a confirmed dangerous dog that has been relocated into the Town of Nipawin. There have been a number of incidents of late, all to my knowledge have been reported to the Town of Nipawin and the RCMP,” said Barry Elliott, the town’s administrator.
“Public Health has been involved in conversations as well as the RCMP and the town, and we recognize something has to be done to ensure everyone’s safety.”
The change to the town’s Animal Control bylaw was passed by council during their May 10 council meeting.
The town now requires one of two different specific signs be added to the property of any dangerous animal. One sign is specifically for dogs, while the other is for any animal.
The owner has 10 days to display the sign at their expense. They’re required to place and maintain the messages at each entrance to the property, the residence where the animal is kept, and on the enclosure where the animal is confined.
The sign is required to be visible and capable of being read from any adjacent public road.
According to the Saskatchewan Municipalities Act, an animal may be declared dangerous if a judge is satisfied on reasonable grounds after hearing a complaint that an animal in a municipality is dangerous.
The reasonable grounds require one of four things.
Those are if the animal was used/trained for fighting; attacked a person or animal; chased a person or pet in an apparent attitude of attack without being provoked; or if the animal has a tendency to attack without provocation.
