Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Mar 05/99) - Horst Podzadny has lost his battle to keep more than the three dogs allowed by the town bylaw.

Without dissent, council voted Feb. 24 to enforce its dog bylaw, limiting dog ownership within town boundaries to three.

Councillors Richard Binder and Denny Rodgers abstained while councillors Peter Clarkson, Vivian Hunter, Derek Lindsay and Don Craik voted to uphold the bylaw.

Councillors Clarence Wood and Garry Smith were absent.

Previously, council had denied Podzadny a dog team licence partly because he had no past history of raising dog teams or mushing.

In 1997, council gave the bylaw officer the OK to destroy 79 of Podzadny's dogs after resident complaints the dogs were in-breeding, in poor health and that Podzadny was not able to give adequate care to them.

Minutes before council voted to uphold the bylaw, they heard a presentation in support of Podzadny from neighbour Terry Michaud. Though Podzadny keeps his dogs along airport road, he lives on Centennial Street.

Michaud acknowledged Podzadny had threatened to tie her children up and was under a court order not to come in contact with them, but she told council Podzadny's dogs were his family and if he were to lose them he could be a danger to the community.

"It will cause emotional problems if he doesn't have the dogs to care for," she told council after saying how Podzadny had, at one point, adopted her dogs without her knowledge.

To demonstrate how Podzadny cares for his dogs, Michaud said he visits his dogs every day, carrying water and food while pushing his bicycle. He also ensures his dogs get vaccinations.

"How many of us have that kind of dedication to our jobs, much less to our dogs?" she said.

Coun. Hunter told council she has heard of Podzadny, who is on social assistance and does some carpentry work, asking for meat scraps for his dogs. If denied, Hunter said he gets "verbally abusive to people."

Michaud agreed.

"I know he gets verbally abusive," she said. "He's at our door five times a day."