The City of Nanaimo is expressing concern and issuing reminders after too many incidents of dog owners failing to control their pets.
The city issued a press release this week that referenced reports of a puppy being killed by another dog on a trail in the Northfield area.
“While some owners may be confident in their ability to control their dogs, a recent dog attack illustrates the importance of keeping them on a leash at all times on public property,” said Dave LaBerge, the city’s manager of community safety, in the release. “Not only are you showing you care about your dog by following these rules, you are showing your neighbours and fellow citizens you care about them and their beloved pets.”
The city’s animal control department reminds dog owners that they must be in control of their dogs at all times in public places, and that dogs must be on a leash except in designated off-leash areas.
Dogs more than three months old must be licensed, with a current tag displayed on the dogs’ collars. Dogs must be kept away from playgrounds and beaches within public parks between May 1-Oct. 1.
Pet owners must ensure their dogs do not roam off their property unless on a leash, and owners are expected to properly dispose of dog poo.
For more information, visit www.nanaimo.ca/goto/animals.
Dogs should also be controlled on private property when there is potential for interactions with newspaper carriers and mail carriers.
Mayor Leonard Krog, at a council meeting Monday, said the city received correspondence from Canada Post advising of dangerous working conditions due to repeated dog attacks and noting that 49 “dog incidents” in Nanaimo so far in 2020 is an “extremely high number for one municipality.”
The letter referenced a July 28 incident in which a postal worker suffered a significant bite wound after a dog bit into the worker’s arm and wouldn’t let go.
“Yes, we love our pets, and some people are a great deal freer with their dogs than others, but surely postal service workers bringing mail to your house should be free from the threat of violent attacks by animals that people choose not to control,” the mayor said.
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