The City of Armstrong has a dog dilemma.
Council this week heard from a resident angry the city isn’t enforcing its dog regulation bylaw allowing only two dogs per residence.
The man says the city has let a neighbour keep three pit bulls, which he believes could be dangerous, for over a year.
Mayor Chris Pieper says it’s a complex issue.
“We’ve asked staff to go back and see what we can do. Traditionally, if people have three dogs, we put them on notice that when one dog passes away, they will not be able to go back to three dogs.”
Pieper says the issue is more the number of dogs as opposed to the breed as the bylaw allows only 2 dogs
“I think the problem would still exist with two dogs. And we are aware that there are probably in excess of 25 people in Armstrong that has three dogs and if you do it for one you have to do it for them all.”
As for the man’s concern the dogs are aggressive.
“The dogs haven’t done anything yet. But they are a dangerous species in the public’s eye, they’re being pit bulls. I don’t want to categorize one species of dog versus another.”
Meanwhile, the city is once again hearing complaints about cats.
The mayor says the city hears every couple of years about people letting their cats roam free.
He says 90 per cent of the people who have cats are responsible enough to look after their cats in a very respectable way, but there’s always a few who don’t.
“They let their cats out and the cats roam the community and fertilize people’s gardens, digging their flower beds and so forth .”
Pieper is not sure what to do about it.
The city doesn’t have a cat bylaw and doesn’t plan to bring one in soon.
He says another problem is when someone feeds stray cats, because they just keep coming back, wandering around the neighbourhood doing their business.
Pieper asks cat owners to please look after them, keep them at home, don’t let them cruise the neighbourhood and keep an eye on their litter.
(Photo courtesy of Irish Mirror)
