Strike two on dog tethering

NEWS/  CITY HALL — Two strikes and the anti-tethering bylaw sought by animal groups is out.

After once turning down a request to look at a bylaw putting limits on dog chaining, Kamloops City council did it again Tuesday.

A delegation representing local animal groups appeared before council asking it to reconsider, but struck out again, though councillors praised both the SPCA and dogs.

“Tethering should only be a short-term solution to securing your dog,” said Claudine Sleik of Habitat for Hounds in requesting a bylaw.

She said tethering dogs robs them of their basic freedoms and they can become aggressive.

Lindsay Curry, community council chair for the Kamloops branch of the SPCA, said stats collected by the SPCA show there were 4,231 complaints about tethered dogs from 2010-2014, and 118 cruelty complaints in Kamloops.

At a previous meeting, councillors had questioned whether tethering was actually a concern of many people. That line of thinking continued during questioning from councillors, with Coun. Arjun Singh asking,  “In the grand scheme of things with dogs around Kamloops is this near the top of the list?”

Curry said abandoning dogs in hot cars is the number one issue, with tethering second.

“It seems to me that if you’re a crappy dog owner you’re always going to be a bad dog owner,” said Coun. Tina Lange. “Is it gonna make them treat their dogs any better?”

Coun. Deiter Dudy asked if tethering on clotheslines would be acceptable.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an all or nothing deal but having some guidelines on what’s acceptable,” Sleik responded, saying a bylaw should address details of types of tethering and length of time dogs are tethered.

Curry suggested council set up a working committee to look at the issue, and the SPCA would be happy to sit on it.

“We know that changes to bylaws don’t happen overnight…. We would be happy to sit on that committee.”

But council was split down the middle on whether they wanted to do that. Those opposed to it were worried about costs, though the delegation said costs wouldn’t increase because bylaws officers would be making most of their collars during normal rounds.

“I wish we cared that much about the children in our community.”

Lange questioned bylaws officer Jon Wilson about staff time. He said there are 10 full-time staff who cover seven days a week. Twenty-five per cent of their calls are about animal control, including dogs.

He said tethering for extended lengths of time does have a negative psychological effect. The question, he said, is how much time bylaws officers can spend on enforcement.

He said animal groups have been pushing for municipal anti-tethering bylaws because the province hasn’t put a B.C.-wide bylaw into effect.

His answers prompted Coun. Denis Walsh to ask him if his “restistance” to a bylaw is because of the lack of a provincial ruling.

“I should clarify, I’m not resistant to it,” said Wilson.

“It’s more of a humane issue than management,” Walsh continued. He pointed out there are existing bylaws for barking, dog poop and so on. Bylaws create “a social norm or at least a standard that most people would abide by” but right now “there’s nothing there, it’s wide open.”

A bylaw would create awareness, he said.

Singh tried to word a motion to form a committee but withdrew, at which point Lange made a motion not to form a committee.

“I’m not suggesting we don’t care about dogs in this community because we certainly do,” she said. “We spend thousands toward looking after dogs. There’s a limit to what we should be doing and what we should become involved in.

“I wish we cared that much about the children in our community.” Lange said a new bylaw would cost “a lot more money. I for one am not prepared to increase a budget that is already onerous for the taxpayers.”

Coun. Ken Christian agreed with Lange. “Up until this week I haven’t heard this being an issue … You can’t legislate common sense and the more you try the deeper you get yourself in trouble. When you introduce a bylaw you are obligated as a corporation to staff the corporation to be able to enforce that bylaw.

“As an issue of control I don’t think this is one the taxpayers of Kamloops are prepared to spend money on.”

Coun. Donovan Cavers, however, saw it differently. “I don’t agree this is going to increase resources… There’s 30 other communities that have taken action; I can’t believe that they are all wrong.”

Acting Mayor Marg Spina, Coun. Pat Wallace, Lange and Christian voted for the motion not to form a committee, with Cavers, Singh, Walsh and Dudy were against, defeating the motion on a 4-4 tie.

Wash then made a motion to form a committee to look at a bylaw addressing the issue of tethering dogs as a primary means of confinement, and report back to council.

This time it was defeated 3-5 as Singh joined Spina, Wallace, Lange and Christian in voting against.