Licensing most dogs is now free in Iqaluit
New animal control bylaw came into effect Jan. 11
The city has updated its animal bylaw, with most animal licensing now free. (File photo by Sarah Rogers)
The City of Iqaluit has updated its animal control bylaw with several fee changes that came into effect Jan. 11.
One of the more notable updates is that most animal licensing can be done with no charge.
Under the previous bylaw, the fees ranged from $35 for neutered or spayed dogs to $250 for dogs officially designated as vicious. A vicious dog’s licensing will still cost $250 in the new by-law.
A number of factors are involved in finding a dog to be vicious, city spokesperson Geoffrey Byrne said. The three main factors are the dog’s propensity to attack, the severity of an attack, and whether the dog has caused death to an animal off its owner’s property, he said.
The Nunavut Court of Justice can officially designate a dog as vicious.
The new initial fee for animal impounds is $125, up from $75. For dogs there is a daily $20 care and sustenance fee and for cats that daily fee is $15.
Also new in the bylaw is a provision to escalate fees for animals that are impounded more than once. The city will now charge $150 for an animal impounded twice within a 12 month period, and $175 for an animal impounded a third time.
Animal tags are available at city hall after completion of the city’s animal licensing form.
and who actually cares about the bylaws. Not smoking in vehicles with children in, children have to be in a children seat, comply with speed limit, no mobile devices while driving, operational requirements of motor vehicles. Why would I care if bylaw:
– is never around
– cannot collect the fines
Why do you think the dogs are called Iqaluit Specials?
C’mon. Why are they free now? By charging a fee, these fee’s can help run an animal shelter. The new laws are very not Inuit friendly because we don’t run dog sleds due to colonization and its quite expensive to buy equipment to try and have these dog sleds these days, most sled dogs are owned by non-Inuit these days, so why cut costs?
These fees are for all dogs not just sled dogs. That way when they’re caught roaming around they know who the owner is.
If inuit wanted to run sled dogs they definitely could. High cost of owning boats, Hondas and skidoos never stopped inuit from buying them, whether for hunting or just for fun
Teach our Inuit locals how to run dog teams, take them out on the land to teach them how to hunt. Take the ones that are unable to afford these machines and feed them 3 meals a day, provide counselling for them, then you might see some of them get their self esteem back… due to colonization we are where we are at today. Kudo’s to the successful Inuk who grew up in a somewhat healthy family, having 3 meals a day, warm clothing during winter. Ever heard about how the RCMP killed all sled dogs so Inuit won’t use them for hunting? They have a piece of paper saying otherwise, what we have heard from local elders (some are dead now) is that due to colonization not all of us are strong as a person, after all we are supposedly supposed to look a certain way in order to be accepted into society and if not they force them into assimilation.
It’s always someone elses fault.
There is no Qalunaat stopping you from having sled dogs… If you want a dog team then get one. Unlike them you are allowed to hunt, and fish as much as you like to feed your team. The colonizers as you call them, have to buy all their dog food and supplies out of pocket. You have access to everything the land has to offer and as many resources as you are willing to put effort into.
“You have access to everything the land has to offer and as many resources as you are willing to put effort into.”
Can this comment be pinned under EVERY article from Nunatsiaq News for about a year or four?
unlike you “huh”, we are not successful, unlike you, we have not healed from colonization, unlike you, we cannot afford to buy expensive items like boats, ski-doo’s, most of us local Inuit are not at the same level of healing as most of you are.
Hence the problem, always blaming colonization. Inuit are not the only one who were colonized, sorry you are not special. A lot of countries and people around the world were colonized. I live here but came from a country that was colonized. My grandparents lived through it. I do not keep saying I have to heal. Time to put your big girl panties on and take control of your life instead of blaming colonizers. Inuit have an absurd amount of opportunities. I have lived in countries where the indigenous community don’t have nearly as many benefits as the Inuit in Canada. Without colonizers, Inuit will not have guns for hunting, fuel for their machines,etc. yes there are bad sides of colonization too but one must forward to progress and not just be stuck in the past!
Sad thing is, it is not always the owners fault. I have had to put a padlock on my dogs chain so that drunken people cant let my dog off. Yay that we have to deal with this as the culprits are adults.
So what will happen if a dog is caught without a tag? if the owner comes to get the dog will they give it a tag? or if a dog is caught without a tag is it automatically put down? if the fur is nice that could be useful then.
So it is free now, and the only requirement is some paperwork. Yet we will still have a loose dog problem, and have people attacking the municipality crying over their loose dog who got picked up and having to pay a fee to get it back. Do people thing bylaw is free to operate? Get off your lazy butt and register your dogs, its free and open to all.
Let’s look at the bright side….
FREE……dog tags, register your dogs for free….repeat free
Nothing like the comments to veer away from the actual article. Let’s be grateful the City has put this out there for the COMMUNITY members.
This is not about colonization, or any other subject for that matter.