Councillors defend dog decision
Statement from Coun. Tina Lange on dog-tethering issue.
NEWS/ CITY HALL — Two Kamloops City councillors have taken to the blogosphere to defend their opposition to a bylaw that would have put limits on how long dogs can be chained.
Councillors Tina Lange and Marg Spina have been taking some heat in social media since they voted along with Coun. Ken Christian and Pat Wallace not to form a committee to look at the proposed bylaw.
The motion was defeated on a tie vote at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Today, Saturday, Lange posted a comment to the Kamloops Armchair Mayor News defending a comparison she made between compassion toward dogs and children, and saying dog owners need to pay more of the costs for animal control.
“I wish we cared that much about the children in our community,” Lange said at one point in the council debate. That brought some strong reaction on social media, including one from Kamloops A.M. News reader John Goldsmith, who asked, “Have you witnessed any children tied to the end of a rope or chain for several hours on end, alone and completely forgotten about?”
Coun. Lange (right) during Tuesday’s council meeting.
Lange responded today saying many children are left alone and forgotten about for hours at a time, and hundreds of children in Kamloops go to school without breakfast. “Yet we do not have bylaws for the abuse of children.”
She pointed out she spearhead a move to protect dogs that are left alone in vehicles during hot weather.
“I’m all for more restrictions on dog care when dog owners completely cover the cost,” she wrote.
“The cost to have four full-time bylaw officers, a dog pound, offices, big trucks, onboard computers and dog parks is not in any way covered off by dog licence fees.
“Those taxpayers who do not own dogs should not have to pay taxes to manage dogs in Kamloops. As councillors we get hammered because taxes are high so we must say no to many requests!”
Coun. Marg Spina also defended the council’s decision and her vote against the bylaw. In the KAMNews comments section, Spina wrote that the SPCA, which receives $30,000 a year in City funding, should look after cruelty matters and the City should look after animal control.
“If we pass a thethering bylaw, and our bylaw officers aren’t just investigating control of animals, but abuse too, then why would we continue funding SPCA?” she asked.
“I believe the SPCA has an important role to play provincially regarding animal abuse. Let’s not dilute that.”
She said at the council meeting few complaints have been received about dog tethering, and it should be left up to the provincial government to control.
Claudine Sleik of Habitat for Hounds, one of the delegates who appeared at the council meeting, wrote in a comment that Spina, who represents the Southern Interior Local Government Association on the Union of B.C. Municipalities, should know that the UBCM passed a resolution on tethering.
However, said Sleik, that resolution doesn’t seem to have gone anywhere. “Community by community is the best route to bring about compassionate changes to our municipal bylaws.”
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Whether-or-not Ms. Lang should be muzzled and brought to heel is another question. I’m at the end of my leash with the “I don’t have kids therefore I shouldn’t pay for education (or anything else) pack. I wish they would restraint themselves.
An education society is an advantage to all of us. Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world. Look at the mongrel societies where girls cannot attend school, women are nothing more then men’s kenneled … (you fill in the blank). Where you are ‘put down’ for your beliefs.
Although dogs can be lovable pets, let’s not confuse dogs with providing children with an education.
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If you need to tether a dog, get a hamster. Or better yet, two hamsters for company. No, not a cat, although people don’t tether them, those that run wild catch the redpols and sparrows at my feeder.
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The problem with Ms Lange’s argument is that there are already federal and provincial laws in place for cruelty and neglect of children. These laws are not perfect and require the constant vigilance of citizens and a supportive culture of caring within communities. Many animal welfare laws are in their infancy in Canada and just being developed. We can stand by and watch others improve the standards for acceptable animal care in their communities or we can be a part of this positive movement. The leaders in our community are in a position to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, whether they be children or animals.
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“The leaders in our community are in a position to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, whether they be children or animals.”
That is the essence! That should be the number one reason and number one motivator for anyone running for office. Compliments for the clearest most concise comment I have read in a while.
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I believe that many of us could take Mr. Goldsmith to many factories in the world where kids are chained to benches while they do the hard work of slave labour. So that we in the West can get what we want. Maybe, he has not heard of child labour or child soldiers. Maybe he is not aware of the many homes in Kamloops, where kids come home to an empty house from school, or are alone all night, while their parents are working or are doing something else. I believe that individuals who are not handling their dogs properly should lose the right to own an animal. This is bad for the animal (s). How many times do we drive around town and see people either dragging or being dragged by two or more dogs. Is it really necessary to own a collection of dogs? I think not. Lastly, are there not more important things to discuss in our city council meetings? Common sense should be used when dealing with the dog-tendering issue and any issue concerning the treatment of man’s best friend.
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She said: “Have you witnessed any children tied to the end of a rope or chain for several hours on end, alone and completely forgotten about?”
In fact there are many “virtual tethering” children are subject to, hampering their development and you have pointedly mentioned a few.
Dennis Walsh made the best comment on council pointing to bylaws as not necessarily an enforcement issue but more as to clearly identify social norm.
Regulating/clearly identifying “common sense” because obviously some people need just that, including many returning Councillors.
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Perhaps if Tina is disturbed and concerned about children who go to school without breakfast and the fact that taxes are so high, she should quit lobbying for raises for council members or donate the raise to the food bank. I do not have children but I pay taxes for schools, playgrounds, social services, etc. I accept this because I am living in society and we are not exclusive and need to look after each other. I don’t remember the exact words that Ms. Lange used previously in another printed article, but it was in effect to make dog owners pay plenty. I already pay plenty of taxes Ms. Lange, and not for services that I am using.
I feel sad that people can be so uncaring about the suffering of an animal first of all, and if they are so inclined they should at least as councilors realize that a chained animal will bark and cause a disturbance through not fault of its own. Irresponsible people who chain a dog will in all likelihood not pick up the dog waste either and will be very unpleasant to have as a neighbor. How this can be put onto dog owners in general is like calling all parents irresponsible because some are, and how a city can shirk any responsibility is beyond me. I thank the three councilors who appear to have the ability to see the big picture and who have empathy to the suffering of an animal.
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I disagree with Coun. Lange’s position on tethering but I do think she deserves credit for strongly advocating for protection of dogs left in vehicles on hot days.
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The flaw in Ms Lange’s argument is that there are laws in place for cruelty and neglect of children. Such laws are only now just starting to be put in place for animals. We can be leaders in making our communities become more compassionate or we can stand by and watch as others move forward. Already 49 BC communities have bylaws restricting tethering of dogs. Leaders in our community have an opportunity to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, including children AND animals.
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“Those taxpayers who do not won dogs should not have to pay taxes to manage dogs in Kamloops”
So, with that thinking Ms Lange, those people who do not have children should not have to pay taxes toward managing schools in Kamloops?? Nonsense right!? Lange continues to say the same thing, that because there are hundreds of children in Kamloops that go to school hungry(her words) the welfare of any other species lacks importance!!!
It seemed like this was a pretty simple “ask”, but not with this Council from the dark ages (apologies to the few who aren’t)
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You could take that thought further with, I don’t own a car, why should I pay road taxes.
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