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
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.