Rocky View County (RVC) is looking into possible changes to its Animal Control Bylaw.
According to RVC, the primary focus of this bylaw is to ensure animals are kept under control and do not engage in nuisance behaviour towards neighbouring properties.
Lorraine Wesley, manager of enforcement services, talked about the changes they are thinking about implementing.
"Administration is looking at including a leashing provision and looking at cat licensing."
According to the RVC website, the exact possible changes include:
- Requiring dogs to be on-leash when not on their owner’s property or in a designated off-leash area.
- Introducing licensing for cats within the County in residential areas.
"The growth in the county has been quite substantial over the last couple of years, and we've seen more residential areas develop in the county. With a larger population in smaller areas, there has been a little bit of an increase in complaints about cats at large, and knowing where cats belong would require them to be licensed. So this is something that we're looking at for more of the densely populated areas, not for the rural areas."
Wesley explained animals at large are the subject of most complaints that are submitted to the county. County Bylaw Officers dealt with 1,194 cases of animals at large in 2023.
All feedback, according to RVC will be used to support the drafting of regulations alongside:
- The effectiveness of the new rules and regulations.
- The flexibility of the new rules and regulations.
- Existing resources and future requirements.
"This is an opportunity for the residents of Rocky View County to have their voices heard. We will be taking this by law to the council, either in the first quarter or the second quarter of 2025 and the survey will form part of the information that will be presented to the council, both concerning leashing dogs and licensing cats."
The public engagement portion is open until December 16. If you would like to share your thoughts and partake in the public engagement, click HERE.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM.
DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app.