CyberKitten
September 10th, 2007, 09:36 PM
Halifax is considering a new bylaw re animals tho most of the changes involve cats. Here is a description from the sr. editor of the Chronicle herald:
"Although regulations concerning dogs have been in effect for many years, this bylaw includes cats. (It also adds controls on rabbits and waterfowl, among other species.) It is the provisions concerning cats which have generated strong feelings and which will continue to do so.
Probably the most contentious of the proposed regulations was that which would limit to three the number of cats per household. Council voted in late July to remove this restriction.
The bylaw provides for licensing and registering cats, and includes a scale of fees designed to offset the costs of adding felines to Animal Control. Given the track record of compliance concerning dogs, this would appear to be adding more unworkable legislation to the books. In all probability, it would be ignored by thousands while penalizing the small group of pet owners who would register their cats.
At the heart of the problem are the people who lack any sense of responsibility where cats are concerned. Education would seem to be the answer.
It is one thing to advocate a program of spaying and neutering, penalizing cats and owners if this has not been done; but here again, cost is a factor. A random check of veterinary hospitals in the metro area shows that spaying can run from a low of $173.10, plus $78.75 for pre-operation blood work, to anywhere in the range of $219 for a cat over six months; and neutering costs about $125, plus blood work. Taxes are additional. Vaccinations (anyone with any sense would get them) run about $79 to $81 per set. Microchips giving identification particulars range from $40 to $69.
Some veterinarians will give discounts; others will not. Some will take into consideration a family’s economic position. Veterinarians, after all, are running businesses.
It’s not just overpopulation that causes problems for shelters and clinics. Many are faced with people bringing in healthy animals to be destroyed because the owners have to move into apartments or seniors’ homes where animals are not allowed. This can be extremely cruel. For compassionate reasons, and because there is increasing recognition of the therapeutic value of pets, especially for older people, this matter should be getting more attention than it does.
One of the best ways to pit neighbour against neighbour is to enact the provisions in this bylaw which allow for anonymous reporting and the trapping of other people’s animals.
The provision in the proposed enforcement strategy concerning complaints about a "cat defecating without the owner immediately picking up after it …" is nothing if not naive. "Hi, neighbour. Yes, I know I’m trampling through your tulip bed, but I thought I saw my cat over here and I wondered if I had to pick up after it. It’s the new bylaw, you know." Besides, don’t they know that cats bury their excrement? Talk about digging up flower beds at random!
This proposed bylaw A-300 would replace existing bylaws in the former jurisdictions of Halifax, Dartmouth and Halifax County, presumably in the interests of harmony. If anyone needs reminding, the HRM contains not only the metro area but a vast amount of rural land where the problems would not be the same as in built-up areas. Sweeping bylaws which do not make this distinction create injustice and situations which would be impossible to police.
Suggestions about building a large $1-million shelter to house the cats brought in by such bylaw changes bear considerable thought. Few things escalate faster than building costs.
It would seem far better to give money, additional or new, to organizations already trying to deal with unwanted animals. Such groups as Bide-a-While (raising money for a new shelter), the SPCA, the Companion Animal Trust Fund, Pick of the Litter Society and Breakwater Cat Rescue League, among others, are out there trying to do a job, usually through volunteer efforts, and could use support.
The main problem is not animals, but people. I don’t see anything in the proposed regulations that says, "Owners shall not dump cats …" (or dogs, for that matter). A key difficulty, of course, is being able to prove who dumped an animal. Scratch enforcement.
If council really wants to help the situation, there are more constructive ways than legislating. Help those already in the trenches, rather than set up a new bureaucracy."
I do think she has the cost of spaying rather high - mine cost less. However.... some vets do charge those costs. All in all, her editorial is a good one -educate people!!! I can see this not helping cats and more cats being brought to the shelters, sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The new law is at this url if anyone wants to read it:
http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/070911ca94.pdf
"Although regulations concerning dogs have been in effect for many years, this bylaw includes cats. (It also adds controls on rabbits and waterfowl, among other species.) It is the provisions concerning cats which have generated strong feelings and which will continue to do so.
Probably the most contentious of the proposed regulations was that which would limit to three the number of cats per household. Council voted in late July to remove this restriction.
The bylaw provides for licensing and registering cats, and includes a scale of fees designed to offset the costs of adding felines to Animal Control. Given the track record of compliance concerning dogs, this would appear to be adding more unworkable legislation to the books. In all probability, it would be ignored by thousands while penalizing the small group of pet owners who would register their cats.
At the heart of the problem are the people who lack any sense of responsibility where cats are concerned. Education would seem to be the answer.
It is one thing to advocate a program of spaying and neutering, penalizing cats and owners if this has not been done; but here again, cost is a factor. A random check of veterinary hospitals in the metro area shows that spaying can run from a low of $173.10, plus $78.75 for pre-operation blood work, to anywhere in the range of $219 for a cat over six months; and neutering costs about $125, plus blood work. Taxes are additional. Vaccinations (anyone with any sense would get them) run about $79 to $81 per set. Microchips giving identification particulars range from $40 to $69.
Some veterinarians will give discounts; others will not. Some will take into consideration a family’s economic position. Veterinarians, after all, are running businesses.
It’s not just overpopulation that causes problems for shelters and clinics. Many are faced with people bringing in healthy animals to be destroyed because the owners have to move into apartments or seniors’ homes where animals are not allowed. This can be extremely cruel. For compassionate reasons, and because there is increasing recognition of the therapeutic value of pets, especially for older people, this matter should be getting more attention than it does.
One of the best ways to pit neighbour against neighbour is to enact the provisions in this bylaw which allow for anonymous reporting and the trapping of other people’s animals.
The provision in the proposed enforcement strategy concerning complaints about a "cat defecating without the owner immediately picking up after it …" is nothing if not naive. "Hi, neighbour. Yes, I know I’m trampling through your tulip bed, but I thought I saw my cat over here and I wondered if I had to pick up after it. It’s the new bylaw, you know." Besides, don’t they know that cats bury their excrement? Talk about digging up flower beds at random!
This proposed bylaw A-300 would replace existing bylaws in the former jurisdictions of Halifax, Dartmouth and Halifax County, presumably in the interests of harmony. If anyone needs reminding, the HRM contains not only the metro area but a vast amount of rural land where the problems would not be the same as in built-up areas. Sweeping bylaws which do not make this distinction create injustice and situations which would be impossible to police.
Suggestions about building a large $1-million shelter to house the cats brought in by such bylaw changes bear considerable thought. Few things escalate faster than building costs.
It would seem far better to give money, additional or new, to organizations already trying to deal with unwanted animals. Such groups as Bide-a-While (raising money for a new shelter), the SPCA, the Companion Animal Trust Fund, Pick of the Litter Society and Breakwater Cat Rescue League, among others, are out there trying to do a job, usually through volunteer efforts, and could use support.
The main problem is not animals, but people. I don’t see anything in the proposed regulations that says, "Owners shall not dump cats …" (or dogs, for that matter). A key difficulty, of course, is being able to prove who dumped an animal. Scratch enforcement.
If council really wants to help the situation, there are more constructive ways than legislating. Help those already in the trenches, rather than set up a new bureaucracy."
I do think she has the cost of spaying rather high - mine cost less. However.... some vets do charge those costs. All in all, her editorial is a good one -educate people!!! I can see this not helping cats and more cats being brought to the shelters, sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The new law is at this url if anyone wants to read it:
http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/070911ca94.pdf