Mayor's Report - May 1998

It’s spring and, like the flowers, the issue of nuisance dogs has again blossomed. The vast majority of people agree that incessant barking, destruction of flower beds, chasing of joggers or bicycles & cars, attacking of family pets, and especially biting of people, is unacceptable doggy behaviour which must be controlled. However, the question of how best to control dogs that misbehave is not an easy one. The issue has been previously debated by Council at least twice, and yet again has been identified as a problem.

The Belcarra Protection Services Committee had previously considered the question of contracting with the SPCA to patrol our community. Their recommendation was against the concept as dog control contracts are expensive, and dog-less property owners would rightfully demand that the cost be recovered via dog licensing. Anmore Council had previously adopted a Dog Control Bylaw based on dog licencing and SPCA patrols, but they abandoned that approach as being administratively cumbersome and ineffective at controlling "nuisance dogs".

More recently, Anmore has adopted a new Dog Control Bylaw that does not require dog licencing. The bylaw simply states that any dog that is off its owners premises, not on a leash, and disturbs other residents in the community shall be impounded. The Pound Keeper (SPCA) would respond upon complaint, and the dog owner required to pay an impounding fee: $50 for a first offence, $100 for a second offence, $150 for a third offence, etc. Anmore reports that this new bylaw appears to be working well, and that their "nuisance dog" problem has decreased 90%.

It’s my guess that approximately 50% of the 260 households in Belcarra own dogs, and of those only about 10% of mans-best-friend fall into the category of "nuisance dogs". In other words, the problem that needs to be managed is approximately 12 dogs!

The "bottom line" is that dog owners are ultimately responsible for the behaviour of their dogs, and are liable if their dog bites a person, causes property damage, or disturbs the neighbourhood. The majority of dog owners take responsibility for their pets, and do not allow them to "disturb" the community. A Dog Control Bylaw is only required for the 10% of dog owners that allow their dogs to become a nuisance!

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