The Village of Telkwa will be updating its Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw — a bylaw that hasn’t been changed since 2005.
“The law and previous bylaw really didn’t give a lot of options for dealing with that,” Telkwa Mayor Darcy Repen said in response to dealing with aggressive dogs and their owners.
The updated bylaw will strengthen the villages fines and sanctions.
“I think it’s good that we have a bylaw that certainly has some significant fines and has some implications for people that don’t control their dogs and the dogs are deemed to be dangerous and aggressive,” Repen stated.
RCMP reported, as of last week, there had been four dog bites so far this year, double that of the entire number last year.
“It’s frustrating to have this come forward again because of a hand full of people in the community that have aggressive dogs that are not controlling them,” said Repen.
Coun. Coralee Karrer suggested a ban on certain breeds should be implemented.
“Are there not some breeds that are identified – there are some cities where you cannot have a Pit Bull, they have identified that breed and I’m not saying you can’t have a Pit Bull that’s a baby, but there are particular breeds.”
Coun. Brad Layton immediately stated he didn’t agree with that.
“They’re not scientifically done so it’s a feeling, it’s a knee-jerk. I don’t agree with them.”
Karrer added “It’s not to say you can’t have a Pomeranian nip or bite somebody, I’m not saying that, but there are certain breeds out there that are identified as [aggressive].”
However, Karrer’s opinion didn’t necessarily sit well with Mayor Repen either.
“I don’t mean to demean her take on it … I think it’s a valid take, however, in the case of Telkwa, the aggressive dogs that we’ve been dealing with are not of those breeds,” he said.
“One of the concerns that I have is to go head-long into bylaw creation and then put us in a position where someone may have a perfectly kind and loving Pit Bull that is cared for very well and never has any issues and is kept properly restrained on their property or in their house or on a leash [but] at the same time, the village has somehow created a bylaw to say that particular breed is illegal,”
A final copy of the bylaw still needs to be completed followed by a third reading from council.
“We can’t have individuals who are affecting the quality of life for the rest of the community … that includes the barking dogs issues, that includes aggressive dogs,” said Repen.
