The County of Stettler’s Animal Control bylaw was before council during their Mar 12 meeting.
The Agriculture Services board had requested the council look at making amendments to the bylaw, specifically concerning impounded & vicious dogs, as well as bee & wild boar farms.
The bylaw would also introduces municipal tags, which are fines that can be voluntarily paid instead of receiving a violation ticket before the provincial court system.
Vicious & Impounded Dogs
Changes to the bylaw would require owners of declared vicious dogs to obtain liability insurance in order to keep them. This would also set a 15 day time limit to comply with a vicious dog declaration, as well as additional regulations to keep the animal.
The updated bylaw would also see impounded dogs kept longer if they have tattoos or microchips, to help make it easier to return lost animals.
Bee Farm Regulations
Under an updated Animal Control bylaw, some changes would apply to those who farm bees. Apiaries would need to submit a map of all hive sites to the County of Stettler.
Proper notification to neighbours within 1 kilometer would also be required, as well as a record of any objections. Finally, bee farmers would need to obtain liability insurance and a $100/yr annual permit under the proposed bylaw.
Wild Boar Farm Regulations
Also new to the bylaw is a section concerning wild boars. As both bees & wild boars can become a nuisance, administration set out to better clarify regulations around these livestock.
Wild boar farms would also require liability insurance, as well as a $500/yr annual permit. Existing farms would need to obtain a permit within six months of an approved bylaw and no new boar farms would be permitted within the County of Stettler. If a wild boar farm shuts down, they would no longer be eligible to restart after six months had passed.
Municipal Tags & Violation Tickets
New to this section of the bylaw is the introduction of municipal tags. This is a notice of a fine with less severity than a violation ticket.
If someone does not voluntarily pay a municipal tag, or wishes to contest the accusation in court, a violation ticket can then be issued. Situations can also be escalated to violation tickets if the officer feels it must or will likely go to court.
Following discussion of the various elements of the bylaw, council passed first reading to allow for time for public consultation before approving second & third readings.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
