Carrot River is proposing major revisions to its animal control bylaws that will include making cat licences mandatory.
At its Sept. 20 meeting, Carrot River council passed the first reading of its new dog, cat bylaw, dangerous animals and livestock bylaws. To come into force, council will have to pass three readings of the bylaws.
“We actually did some wholesale changes to both the dog bylaw and the cat bylaw,” said Kevin Trew, the town’s administrator. “One of the things is we wanted some parity – almost a mirror reflection – between the dog bylaw and the cat bylaw.”
The last time the dog bylaw was changed was in 2006, while the cat bylaw was last changed in 1996.
The new bylaws make licences mandatory for both dogs and cats – cat licences were voluntary before – and assign the same fees to both animals.
A licence is $10 per calendar year for a spayed or neutered animal, $25 for unspayed females and $50 fee for unneutered males, as they can father more than one litter. The goal of the fees is to encourage people to spay or neuter their pets.
To replace a tag, it will be $5. Before, it was $1.
To get an impounded animal out of the pound will cost $25 for a licensed animal. Before, it was $40 for dogs and $20 for cats. A licensed animal will be charged $40. That fee will include a licence. There’s also a $5/day kenneling cost after the first day of impoundment. Fees will double on second offense in a calendar year and quadruple on the third and subsequent offenses.
As for the differences between the dog and cat bylaw, both state that the animals shouldn’t be at large. For cats, that means they shouldn’t create a nuisance, while for dogs, they need to be on a leash.
Cat traps will be available, but the town will now enforce the need for a permit to ensure they are treated humanely and that the town is informed when a cat is caught.
Nuisance dog howling and barking is not allowed. If the town is notified and the dog is indeed howling and barking, the owner has one week to stop it. If it doesn’t, there’s a $100 fee for the first offense and $500 fee for the second and subsequent offenses.
The dangerous animal bylaw will replace one from 2006.
“We’ve actually expanded the bylaw so that it applies to all animals because there could definitely be other animals that could be dangerous,” Trew said.
All of the mentions of dangerous dogs have been removed from the dog bylaw, while all mentions of dog licence have been removed from the dangerous animal bylaw.
The livestock bylaw will replace one from 1959 and it defines livestock as animals that are kept for agricultural purposes. Livestock can only be located in certain parts of town, like those zoned for agricultural uses.
There are exemptions for buildings like veterinarian clinics, pet stores, humane societies and stockyards. People can also apply for temporary exemptions for events like 4-H, circuses and agricultural exhibitions.
Livestock can be driven through town unless they create a nuisance. Horses can be ridden through town, as long as any manure is removed.
