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By battlefordsNOW Staff

animal control

Biggar updates animal control bylaw after complaints of abandoning strays

Aug 25, 2023 | 6:00 AM

No charges will be laid after an investigation into the Town of Biggar leaving stray cats outside of the town limits.

The Executive Director of Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan (APSS), Don Ferguson said they received a complaint from a member of the public concerning how the town’s Animal Control Bylaw was being enforced.

“Municipalities can create bylaws to deal with at-large animals or to trap nuisance animals. The issue is that once an animal is trapped, it becomes the responsibility of the individual trapping it – whether that’s the individual or the town who provided the trap to a resident – they are now responsible for the animal.”

Ferguson explained the person in charge of care has to follow duties under the provincial Animal Protection Act by ensuring the animal has adequate food, shelter and water, and is protected from injuries, cold and heat.

“When you trap an animal like that you’ve got three things you can do with it. You can release the animal in hopes that the trapping experience will deter it from coming back. Two, you can return it to the owner if you know who it is, or three, deliver it to the pound or facility that’s designated as a pound for holding under your municipal bylaw.”

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Ferguson said abandoning an animal without those things and releasing it is contrary to the Animal Protection Act and could be contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.

A petition launched on change.org by Kimberly Paulsen of Biggar alleges animal cruelty by the town and encourages signatures to hold the municipality accountable. In July, her cat Frankie went missing and she claims she received an anonymous call advising her that the cat had been trapped and handed over to the town. When she went to retrieve Frankie, a municipal staff member told her they don’t hold the animals for any length of time and they are relocated outside of the town boundaries. Paulsen also claimed the town doesn’t scan for microchips, bring cats to the pound or keep any records of the stray animals caught.

On the petition site, she wrote, “They take them 5-10 minutes outside of Biggar (for the RM to deal with) and leave them out, alive, and alone in a ditch for them to suffer.”

In an email to battlefordsNOW, Marty Baroni, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Biggar, said council conducted an internal investigation and concluded that the protocol set out in the town’s Animal Control Bylaw was not properly followed by the parties responsible for its enforcement.

“This matter was taken seriously and corrective measures have been undertaken to inform responsible parties on the proper procedures. In addition, the town has repealed Bylaw No. 16-778 and replaced it with Bylaw No. 23-851, effective August 1, 2023, to update various areas of the bylaw.”

The email also stated, “In updating the Animal Control Bylaw, the Town is ensuring that this will not happen again.”

Baroni noted APSS completed their investigation into the town in late July and were satisfied with their cooperation in updating the entire bylaw with their input, mainly surrounding humane trapping and impoundment procedures.

Ferguson confirmed APSS was satisfied with the compliance and education that took place and no charges would be laid.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW