'It will free up our current animal officer for other duties.'

Iqaluit's bylaw department is getting out of the animal control business.

Chief bylaw enforcement officer Rod Mugford said the department is seeking tenders to provide the service. That will allow the city's four bylaw officers to spend more time on traffic enforcement.

"It will free up our current animal control officer for other duties that are kind of overwhelming at times for the other two officers," Mugford said. "Most municipalities in the south tend to contract out that service."

The contractor would conduct patrols, respond to calls and maintain the city dog pound but won't have the power to write tickets. They'd also call bylaw officers for help when dealing with aggressive animals

"If a dog attacks or whatnot, that would be strictly us dealing with it," Mugford said.

Mugford said the city used to farm out animal control to contractors "in the past but not the recent past."

Bylaw officer Tyson Kalluk, who's been the city's point man on animal control, can now look forward to cleaner shoes. He'll be training any new animal control worker. He said he's looking forward to branching out within the bylaw department, but will still do animal control from time to time.

"I'll helping out here and there if they need me," he said.

If council approves a tender the new contractor could be corralling stray dogs by late October. That will be before the city opens its new dog pound in the North 40.

Mugford said that facility won't open before the new year, to give the building's owners, Northern Property REIT, time to perform promised renovations, and to allow tenants living in illegal apartments there time to find new accommodations.

That deal settles a court action by the city against Northern Property REIT for maintaining apartments in an industrial area, which is against city development rules. It also allows the city to get out of a cramped and dilapidated building, owned by Qulliq Energy Corporation, it's been using as a pound. Qulliq let the city use the site rent-free, but now wants it back.

If the tender process doesn't turn up any suitable candidates, then bylaw would continue responding to animal complaints, Mugford said.