Councillors ask for more research on no-kill animal policy

Last Updated: Monday, March 16, 2009
CBC News

Edmonton councillors asked staff Monday if the city's policy can be changed
so adoptable stray cats and dogs are not put down.

Last year, 1,451 cats and 301 dogs were euthanized by Edmonton's Animal
Control Services and some councillors say the city needs to adopt a new
policy to bring those numbers down.

"If it's a healthy, adoptable animal, regardless of breed or age or shelter
capacity, you will not euthanize them," Coun. Karen Leibovici said.

On Monday, the city's community services committee discussed a city report
looking into the feasibility of a "no-kill" policy.

The report, which was compiled at the request of several councillors and
released last week, said the policy was not feasible because of capacity
problems at the animal control shelter.

"We would hold onto those animals as long as we can, but the reality is if
our facilities are full and all the other support facilities are full, then
we are faced with euthanizing them," said David Aitken, director of bylaw
enforcement.

The city's animal services shelter handles stray and abandoned animals. The
Edmonton Humane Society takes in pets that are surrendered by their owners
and only euthanizes animals that are too sick or aggressive to be safely
adopted.

The goal of keeping healthy, adoptable animals alive can happen only if the
public helps by spaying or neutering their pets. Licensing is another part
of the solution, Aitken said, because it makes it easier to reunite owners
with their lost cats and dogs.

"Fourteen hundred [cats] last year...had to be euthanized. If they were all
licensed, we wouldn't have to euthanize any of them," he said.

City councillors asked staff to look into the issue further as well as
discuss it with the Humane Society.

Landlords will also be part of the discussions. Councillors heard that fewer
places are allowing tenants to have pets and that may be contributing to
people abandoning their pets.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/03/16/edm-policy-animals.html