July 20, 2009
The Kamloops Daily News - editorial

Animal bylaw needs second look

Kamloops City council needs to review its animal control bylaw with an eye to easing up on the number of pets allowed in one household.

Councillors are dealing with an increasing number of appeals to the two-dogs-to-one-house law. The stories are almost always heart wrenching with desperate families begging to be allowed to keep their extra canine or feline.

What politician really wants to be forced to take a position that has the potential to lead to the death of a dearly loved pet?

The City's bylaw also restricts owners to two cats. However, one household can have two cats and two dogs, which really doesn't make a lot of sense.

The bylaw is enforced by way of a complaint so a house with six dogs may never come to the attention of City Hall if the animals are well behaved and the neighbours are not the complaining type.

It's not a perfect system because it allows nasty neighbours to get back at another neighbour through the tattle-tale system. Even if a three-dog home poses no issue to the neightbourhood, the family will still end up in trouble with bylaw enforcement officers if a complaint is made by a vindictive person.

Since City bylaw enforcement is largely based on the complaint system, the animal bylaw doesn't actually require a number restriction. The issue of dogs per household could be settled easily by way of neighbourhood input.

After dealing with not one but two appeals of the dog bylaw Tuesday, Mayor Peter Milobar suggested putting the issue on the table at the next council workshop.

Councillors will do themselves a favour if they can find an alternative to putting themselves in the position of jury over the difficult decision of forcing an animal out of the arms of people who love it.

It's certainly an issue worth discussing. A blanket bylaw for all animals is too inflexible. For example, a house with thee small dogs is likely to be less disruptive on a neighbourhood than two big dogs, although no dog of any size should be left outside to bark incessantly.

If council decides to monitor the animal issue through the complaint process, it must also go one step further. Each complaint should get at least a quick once over to determine whether it is legitimate or just the extension of a prior dispute.

Those issues would be better served by a municipal mediation officer than the bylaw enforcement office.