Approximately 100 people have showed up at city hall since Jan. 1 to get their pet licence renewed.
Bylaw enforcement officer Josie Newton has said that if a person’s pet is lost and recovered, and their pet licence hasn’t been updated, they can face a fine of over $100.
City clerk Judy Pilloud has mentioned that the city will be meeting with the local police department because the city wants to revise the current pet licence bylaw.
Pilloud said the bylaw enforcement officer and police will not infringe on people’s privacy by going to the dog park, and checking everyone’s pets to see if their licence is updated.
If you have a cat, dog or other pet requiring a licence renewal that licence is only $10 if the pet has been neutered and has all of its appropriate vaccinations. If your pet has not had those things done, then a licence will cost over $100.
“At our next police meeting that will be happening soon we will be having a discussion that will pertain to our existing bylaw. One of the things we will be looking at is making paying and purchasing your pet licence more user friendly, said Pilloud.
When asked if there was a potential for a price hike as part of revamping the pet licence program Pilloud said, “Not really, no that is not what we are looking at.
“Within the next couple of weeks, we will know a lot more from the meeting about the pet license issue. I can assure the point of the system we have is to keep pets with their owners and the logistics of having a by-law and making sure it is doing what it should is what we will be talking about.”
The pet licence system has been in Estevan since 2004 and it is aimed at protecting pets and public safety. Before 2004 there was problem with pets being lost or abandoned. Issues that arose included unvaccinated starving dogs wandering around public areas, pets running in front of cars in the winter time, and pets creating a food supply for wild animals that normally do not enter the city.
Every year the same issue occurs, in which people do not come to get their licence renewed and Pilloud believes that may be due to people just forgetting.
“The licensing system only effects cats and dogs but the animal control bylaw officer does expand to other types, which is listed online and anyone looking to renew the pet licence is encouraged to come stop by city hall,” she added.
