The Town of Drumheller is getting closer to outlining what is means to be a responsible pet owner in Drumheller.
At the January 21 meeting of the Committee of the Whole, those present were provided the latest draft of the Responsible Pet Owners Bylaw.
The bylaw has been in the works since late 2011 and aims to promote responsibility among pet owners, in particular those who own cats.
“The main function of the bylaw is to create the type of behaviour in pet owners where their animals are being taken care of responsibly, and with care and consideration for their neighbour and community as a whole,” said Paul Salvatore, Director of Community Services.
The bylaw, updates the current Animal Control Bylaw and clarifies many areas. The most significant are requirements for cat owners to register their cats and cats are no longer permitted to roam at large.
So far, a $35 annual registration fee for spayed/neutered cats has been proposed. However, Council and administration are considering an introductory rate to encourage owners to register their animals.
Cats would require either a tag, tattoo, or microchip for identification purposes. It is hoped with registration and adequate identification, lost animals could be returned to their owners efficiently.
The bylaw proposes to reduce the time the Town will hold a recovered animal from six days to three. After three days, the Town, under the proposed bylaw, can sell the animal, give it to a new home, give it to the humane society, or destroy it. The reduction was meant to cut down the costs associated with housing a recovered animal.
Greg Peters, Community Enforcement Supervisor, ensures all measures would be taken to return any recovered animals.
“We would do everything we could to return animals," said Peters.
One of the hopes identified during initial discussions in 2011 regarding the bylaw was it would help lower the population of feral cats in Drumheller.
The impetus for the bylaw comes in part from the costs associated with animal control. Between 70 to 80 per cent of the animal control budget is spent on issues relating to cats. The goal is recover some of those costs through cat registration.
“It’s a cost that has never really been recovered. In no way do we feel the steps identified in the bylaw are an unreasonable regulation of animals in our community,” said Salvatore.
Much of the proposed bylaw focuses on cats, which have hitherto been overlooked, but there are new provisions for dogs as well.
Under the proposal, dogs would be allowed to be tethered in a residential yard in such a manner that permits them to get within two metres of the fence or property line. In addition, dogs would not be allowed to be tethered and left unattended in public areas.
For the time being, administration will be revising the draft based on feedback from Council. For a look at the proposed bylaw, click here.
“It is people who are responsible for their pets and ultimately accountable by law,” said Peters.
At approximately 12:15 p.m., on January 21, Drumheller Institution, a medium security federal penitentiary, was placed on lockdown to facilitate the search of the institution as a result of an incident. Five inmates were found to have been assaulted. Injuries were sustained but are not considered serious. 
