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IQALUIT- A petition circulating throughout several communities in Nunavut calls on the territorial government to implement an animal protection act.

Puppies are let out for playtime at Iqaluit’s animal shelter, operated by the Iqaluit Humane Society. The society is currently circulating a petition in the communities of Kimmirut, Qikiqtarjuaq, Rankin Inlet, Kugluktuk and Iqaluit calling on the government to implement an animal protection act. - photo courtesy of Janine Budgell

The Iqaluit Humane Society began the petition following a CBC story earlier in the month about Bryan Pearson – a former mayor of the city who was bitten by a distressed dog suffering from neglect. He had found the dog frozen to the ground in his own urine and feces outside its owner’s house and was trying to help the animal at the time he was bitten.

With publicity surrounding the issue of animal cruelty, it seemed like a good time for the humane society to gather support, said president Janine Budgell.

“It was always a goal of the humane society,” she said. “We always talked about how we definitely need territorial legislation to back up the bylaw department and to back up our organization when we’re getting calls from people in the community.

“Never did we expect we’d do this so soon…but it needs to be done.”

Since starting the society two years ago, volunteers have been receiving calls continuously from people reporting animal abuse, Budgell said.

“All the time (we hear of) animals being dragged behind Ski-Doos, animals left out to freeze with no shelter, food or water, animals frozen to sheets of ice in their own feces and urine, kids doing cruel things (and) animals that have been run over and they’re unable to contact anybody to euthanize the animal,” she listed as examples. “If there is a punishment for the way animals are treated, I think we’ll see less of it.”

As there is no animal protection legislation in Nunavut, the city’s enforcement offers have little authority to deal with situations of abuse.

“There’s no grounds for municipal enforcement to go in and take an animal,” said Budgell. “If municipal enforcement is going to take the extra step to go and investigate the situation, which they sometimes do, they don’t have grounds. That’s their own personal liability they’re risking when they walk into these situations.”

Rod Mugford, Iqaluit’s chief enforcement officer, works in partnership with both the humane society and the RCMP in dealing with reports of animal cruelty.

He said sometimes if there is clear evidence of animal abuse, enforcement officers can seek the assistance of the RCMP to lay charges under the Criminal Code of Canada or have the animal seized.

In many cases, however, enforcement officers must tread carefully.

“Our bylaw doesn’t give us much merit (to protect or enforce),” said Mugford. “We can’t enforce the Criminal Code of Canada. We can’t enforce federal legislation, but we can enforce territorial legislation if the act (gives us the authority).”

Every province in Canada has its own animal protection act, he added. Some communities even have officers to deal specifically with stray animals and cases of animal abuse.

It is also important to note that many of the reports of abuse are based on a misunderstanding, said Mugford.

“A lot of the people that are calling in are complaining because the dog is outside,” he said. “This is the North. This is the lifestyle for these animals.”

Nonetheless, there are some cases where dogs should not be left outside.

“Dogs that aren’t bred specifically (for the climate), we look at that a lot more,” said Mugford.

“That’s really where we see most of the problems like with animals starving to death and being froze to death,” said Budgell. “It’s because they’re not adapted to this climate.”