(Provided by City of Moncton)
The City of Moncton is moving forward with updates to its animal control bylaw.
At last month’s Committee of the Whole meeting, plans were put forward to no longer require owners of dangerous dogs to display warning signs in their yards.
However, Moncton Fire Chief/Director of Community Safety Conrad Landry told Council that after further discussion, it will be status quo.
“The city will supply the sign so that it’s standardized and it’s visible and of course bilingual etc. So we reinstated the sign in front of their yard.”
Landry said owners who get their dogs microchipped will no longer have to worry about renewing tags every year.
He noted the bylaw can be enforced 24-7 since the number of community officers is being doubled.
But Councillor Shawn Crossman said it was his understanding that the officers would have other priorities.
“The personnel was geared at the issues going on in the downtown core and across the city with regards to the homeless, theft, being on private property and things along that line. I wasn’t under the impression we are hiring additional officers to enforce this bylaw.”
Landry said he’s not too concerned about it being an extra burden since there are only about 2.5 calls per day related to animal control.
Some of the other changes include bylaw officers being able to restrict and seize dogs immediately, owners must pay all fines first to get their dog back and dogs must be kept up to date with rabies vaccinations.
In addition, a review committee is being eliminated and an appeal process will become a review process which Landry believes will help speed up matters.
The updated animal control bylaw passed first reading at Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
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