Iqaluit residents want more clarity on proposed dog bylaw

Iqaluit sled dog owner Louis-Philip Pothier raises a point at a public consultation on the city’s proposed new “responsible pet-owner and sled dog bylaw,” Nov. 13. The new bylaw would merge separate bylaws on “domestic animal control” and the city’s “Canadian Inuit dog and dog team” bylaw. Pothier said he hoped the city would not confuse enforcement of rules for sled dogs with separate rules covering dogs as domestic pets, once the new bylaw is in place. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)

Iqaluit residents called on the city to clarify some specifics on the city’s proposed “Responsible Pet Owner and Sled Dog by-law” at a public consultation meeting Nov. 13, and gave a range of opinions on how they want the city to control loose and vicious dogs.

Introduced July 10, the bylaw merges the city’s domestic animal control and Canadian Inuit dog team by-laws, and toughens rules on dog ownership “to get people to take better care of their dogs,” said Kevin Sloboda, chief municipal enforcement officer for Iqaluit.

Iqaluit’s municipal enforcement department created the new bylaw to put all dog regulations into a single set of rules, and to better deal with loose dogs in city streets, the chief said.

“The responsibility just doesn’t seem to be there,” Sloboda told city residents at the meeting.

The by-laws needed to be revamped, he said, “so the process was to go with something that has a little more strength.”

“Public safety is number one, the utmost concern for the city,” said mayor John Graham, who chaired the meeting.
The new bylaw maintains recognition that “the Inuit dog, and the dog team have been an integral part of the city of Iqaluit’s unique character,” and regulations on these would not change, he said, noting that the city drew input from sled dog owners shortly after the bylaw was first tabled.

As strong as the merged bylaw might be, Iqaluit’s sled dog team owners and pet dog owners raised points for clarification. These start with the concept of “vicious” dogs, which figures prominently in the new rules.

Louis-Philip Pothier, one of 11 dog team owners in the city, pointed out that the term “vicious animal” as defined in the proposed merged regulations would apply to all sled dogs.

“Dogs in teams operate almost like a pack of wolves,” he said. “There is a hierarchy system. Fighting between dogs on one team is fairly common. It’s even seen for us as
a healthy or normal situation. That being said, under the current proposed bylaw, our dogs are vicious animals.”

Unlike most pet dogs, the unique living conditions of sled dogs, as well as their adaptation to Arctic climates, put them in a different class of breed than house pets, he said.

“That should be considered.”

The term “vicious” also looked vague to at least one pet-owner. The proposed bylaw states that any animal that has “chased, injured or bitten” another animal of human, or “threatened or created the reasonable apprehension of a threat to a human” can be considered vicious.

Resident Allen Kunuk said his Staffordshire bull terrier could be considered vicious by those standards, if the animal happens to run to someone to seek affection.

“That person can allege to have been chased,” since the dog’s powerful appearance could easily seem threatening, he said.

If the threat were judged to be real, Kunuk noted that municipal enforcement could confine his dog for 10 days, according to the regulations.

Once identified as a vicious dog, ownership of the animal would require a “vicious animal” license fee of $250, plus added obligations on how to legally keep the animal.

Sloboda answered that municipal enforcement investigates incidents on a case-by-case basis, and takes into account interpretations of threats.

Chasing alone “does not make it a vicious dog,” Sloboda said. “We arrive at a determination based on several points during an investigation.”

As well as introduce a new licensing fee for “vicious” dogs, the new bylaw would increase overall licensing fees for dogs, with lower fees charged for neutered and spayed animals.

The bylaw would also include licensing fees for cats, covering ground rules similar to those on dogs – related spayed and neutered animals, impoundment and destruction.

The bylaw expands the number of penalties by more than two times, specifying more than 50 violations and related fines. Penalties range from $50 up to $2,000.

These include fines related to injuries and damage caused by vicious dogs, and a separate schedule on vicious animal penalties. New penalties include fines on “failure to remove animal feces,” and others detailing situations that allow animals to roam free.

Several residents remarked that the city’s most urgent issue – loose dogs – will need policies that go beyond increased fees and tightened regulations.

Apex resident Sytukie Joamie recommended the city organize a yearly, or twice-yearly cull of unclaimed animals on the loose, which he referred to as “strays.”

One woman agreed, adding that the city should consider banning breeds that are not considered indigenous to Nunavut.

Sloboda reminded that the city’s problem is not with strays or abandoned animals, but animals with owners who simply let them run loose.

“We see people letting their dogs out, and we get calls about dogs running around all the time,” he said.

“We take the dogs back, we pick up the dogs, and end up putting them into the pound. The responsibility just doesn’t seem to be there.”

Resident Tracy Cooke said rules outlawing specific breeds are misplaced, and she highlighted again that irresponsible owners who let their dogs roam free are the problem.

“I think it’s very unfortunate that there are so many irresponsible owners in this town, because they do make it hard for the rest of us that do to follow the rules,” she said.

“I really don’t know how you guys (municipal enforcement) are going to get through to people who just open their door in the morning and let their dog out to wander free.”

Mayor John Graham said the city’s next step will be to complete the final draft of the bylaw for second reading by city council, using feedback from the public consultation.

He said the city could implement the new bylaw as early as January 2014.