Cariboo Regional District directors weighed in on dangerous dogs and animal control bylaws during a committee of the whole meeting held Thursday, Sept. 10.
They were responding to a report that chief administrative officer John MacLean had prepared in response to an ‘increasing interest in an expanded bylaw enforcement role’ with the CRD.
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MacLean said when he reached out to other regional districts he learned a ‘handful’ had dangerous dog bylaws on the books and those were for more built-up or urbanized areas.
“We are talking about resourcing at the end of the day and how many resources are we going to ask the taxpayers to pay for if we are going to enforce some of the issues if the board decides to go down this path.”
Area E director Angie Delainey said there are other issues such as flood and fire protection that are bigger priorities and it is better for the CRD to refer things such as dangerous dogs to supports that already exist with other agencies.
Steve Forseth, Area D director, said the dangerous dog issue has been a part of his area in Wildwood and Pine Valley for more than a decade on and off.
“I talked to the SPCA a couple of times, once last term and once at the beginning of this term, and the board needs to know the SPCA will not go pick up these dogs because of liability reasons, but on the plus side, they are happy to host these dogs provided you find a way to get them there,” Forseth said.
Area F director Maureen LeBourdais said she receives lots of complaints about dog noises or dogs chasing deer and said complaints will probably increase as more people move to rural areas.
John Massier, Area C director, said he had an incident where a ‘bad neighbourhood dog’ was intimidating children and the postal carrier in a small community.
“It was finally resolved when an RCMP officer took it into his hands to address the problem directly,” Massier said.
The CRD’s noise control bylaw includes dogs and applies tol all electoral areas except I, J and K.
It stipulates that no owner of a dog shall permit or cause the dog to cry or bark in a manner which disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity of the place where the dog is kept.
At the meeting the directors directed staff to prepare a report on a dangerous dogs and animal control bylaw.
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