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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Fort Simpson's village council passed a new dog bylaw last week that will force negligent owners to take better care of their dogs or pay a fine.

Bylaw officer Stephanie Cudmore helped revamp Fort Simpson's dog bylaw, which was passed during a council meeting on Oct. 1. - Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo

A new section of the bylaw requires owners to provide their animals with fresh drinking water and food in sanitary receptacles, ensure veterinary care is accessed when needed and appropriate housing is available for animals. If pet owners don't comply with the rules they could be hit with a fine of $100 to $250.

"If you've got a dog that's a pet you need to be able to maintain its standards and give it what it needs," said bylaw officer Stephanie Cudmore.

The dog bylaw was revised by Cudmore and senior administrative officer Sebastien Goyer on direction from council. Mayor Sean Whelly said he and the councillors wanted to bring the bylaw more in line with the NWT Dog Act.

"The dog act, which is an NWT piece of legislation, has higher fines for certain things like animal cruelty and we do run across some cases like that occasionally here," said Whelly.

The new section of the bylaw – the addition is called "provision of needs" – was added largely because there has been a number of complaints about the treatment and care of dogs in the area, Cudmore said.

The new rules will come into effect shortly but, she said, she won't be handing out fines right away.

"If we see dogs that are not being taken care of we're not just going to go out and fine, fine, fine immediately. My plan isn't to kill the town, it's to more educate the town," Cudmore said, adding there could be exceptions. "If the first week goes by and we've had to give out 15 warnings and the second week goes by and it's still 15 warnings then obviously people are going to start being ticketed because they're not getting the idea."

Under the old regulations, an over-arching clause addressed various offences, including owning an unlicen-sed dog or an animal that causes a nuisance, and for punishing, abusing or neglecting a dog. For a first offence the fine was $25, the second $50 and after that $100. The new bylaw has increased those fines to $100, $200 and $300 and added the new specific fines.

Also, under the new bylaw residents will be allowed to have three dogs with one being an outdoor dog. Previously, only two dogs were allowed per household. As well, licence fees for dogs that are not spayed or neutered have decreased.

But no matter how many dogs a person has, Cudmore said, they should all be licensed.

"If the dogs are being licensed then it makes it a lot easier. If we see loose dogs on the road we can return those dogs to where they belong, back to their home owners versus putting them in the pound," she said.

She added that if dogs are picked up they are not being shot.

"I've received phone calls in the middle of the night that have been like, 'I lost my dog. Did you shoot my dog?' and that's not what we want to do."

Dogs that are found homeless or that are unwanted are sent to the SPCA in Yellowknife, if possible, and found a new home from there, she added.

"We are doing everything we can to not shoot the dogs."

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