Pets in Canada - New Law Requires Registration in Calgary

Our neighbors to the North have instituted some new rules for owning pets in the majestic province of Alberta.

The article is from the Calgary Herald and is reprinted below.

Having a pet is a lot of fun, but it's not without its responsibilities.

The City of Calgary has established a number of bylaws for owners of dogs and cats, the most notable being the requirement that Fido and Felix be licensed.

"At three months of age, dogs and cats need to be licensed," says Joanne Hahn, manager of policy and public education with Animal & Bylaw Services. She describes a licence as "the pet's ticket home. The whole problem with shelters is they can't connect the owner to the pet ... and that's what the licence does."

She says licences compliment other identification methods such as tattoos and microchipping, but for dogs they aren't interchangeable -- you still need a licence. "One problem with microchipping is people forget to update their addresses if they move," Hahn says, while licences, being annual, are updated more frequently.

"With cats it's a bit different -- you have to have your cat licensed, but if your cat is microchipped or tattooed it doesn't have to be wearing the licence tag. People say, but my cat never goes outside; the Humane Society shelter is full of indoor cats," says Hahn.

Other bylaws require dogs to be leashed at all times unless on their owner's property or in a designated off-leash area.

As for cats, the 2006 Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw requires cats be kept on their owner's property and not be allowed to roam the neighbourhood.

"And the biggest complaint the city gets is people not picking up dog poop," says Hahn. "The fine is $250 if you don't pick up after your dog. And dogs should not be on school grounds, playgrounds or sports fields."

Dog misbehaviour can add up to some heavy fines -- as much as $1,500 for causing severe injury to a person.

"Everything we do is complaint-generated and our officers are trained in mediation and conflict resolution. They'll get the full story; we're out to be fair and we want to protect the public," says Hahn.

The city can also impose fines for complaints of excessive barking, although Hahn says the first complaint usually just results in a warning letter.

The Animal Services website keeps a frequently updated record of impounded animals. For more information on pet-related bylaws, call 311 or visit www.calgary.ca/animalservices.