Sask. RM criticized for bylaw change suggesting landowners can shoot trespassing dogs
A petition with hundreds of signatures is circulating online, criticizing a bylaw change in the Rural Municipality of Porcupine that seems to allow rural property owners to kill any unknown, unattended dogs on their land.
The RM made the rule change in May, which suggests dogs found roaming unattended may be shot if trespassing on someone’s property or on roads adjoining the lands.
The Mayor of Porcupine Plain said the bylaw is not applicable in town, even though stray dogs are a common resident concern.
“It’s nuisance dogs. People frequently are concerned about dogs roaming, and occasionally aggressive dogs. And it’s probably one of the harder things for us, to deal with,” Mayor Nick Wood said.
The bylaw caught the attention of Regina resident Angie McGarry who started an online petition, garnering 2,500 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
“I can sit with the owners of Porcupine Plain or any other RM and explain, ‘If your dog is loose, these are the consequences,’ and because they’re human, they understand that,” McGarry said.
“I can sit with the dog all day long and say, ‘If you go past this fence, here’s what’s going to happen to you.’ And they don’t understand. So you can’t rationalize with a dog."
McGarry does not believe the bylaw is legal, citing Saskatchewan’s Stray Animals Act, which includes other options before terminating an animal.
RM of Porcupine Reeve Steve Kwiatkowski said the bylaw does not mean it is open season on dogs, instead calling it a deterrent for dog owners.
He added that a landowner took issue with one nuisance dog taking down wildlife, and they wanted to rectify the situation quickly.
“We will be definitely talking about it. I do agree, some of the wording is, maybe not quite right. But at the end of the day, nobody, nobody, today, has given any indication or ideas that fix the problem,” Kwiatkowski said.
The reeve said the RM will talk about the bylaw wording at its upcoming council meeting on Sept. 1. Discussions surrounding the wording of the bylaw will be heard.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.