Who’s stupid idea is this. What a waste of money that could be better spent on the violence plaguing the city. I seriously doubt my three cats are going to understand that they can’t leave my yard. I doubt the councilors got more than one complaint. It was probably some old gas bag hag who despises anything that can move fast then them. Seriously we pay these salary’s and they come up with this stupidity
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
This by-law went to vote 26 fucking times before it was passed. If that isn’t a complete waste of taxpayers money, I don’t know what is. City Hall is run by a bunch of moronic windbags who couldn’t ignite a collective thought if they tried. I’d like to see any of them try to keep their cat in their yard. It goes against the friggin’ nature of the wee beastie. Too bad we couldn’t elect cats to City Hall – they’d be a lot more productive than this crew – at least they know when to bury shit.
I have 2 cats neither of which leaves my house except in a carrier to go to the vet for their needles. I will not be getting a license for either one of them. Let city hall try and force me to. This bylaw is nothing but a tax grab.
I agree with this bylaw. The same thing happened a few years ago when the issue came up about dogs having to be registered. If you cat people would keep them under control, there wouldn’t be the problem. I personally would like to catapult all the cats into the sun, as the cartoon goes. I am sick and tired of having to clean up after a cat in my yard. At least the dog owners show some responsibility.Pay your fee, bitch and moan and move on with your day. Us dog owners having been doing it for years.
I will be standing in line to register my cat as soon as the service becomes available. I am 100% in support of this legislation. If people would take the trouble to actually read the legislation, they would see that there is absolutely nothing revolutionary or controversial about it. My cat is an indoor cat, but if she did get out, as most cats occasionally try to do, I would derive some peace of mind from knowing that if Animal Control DID pick her up, they would be able to notify me. That is worth ten bucks to me.
Taxgrabtaxgrabtaxgrabtaxgrab.
I own both a dog and cats.I disagree with Leafs fan. You’d be surprised as to how many dog owners do NOT pick up after their dog (ok maybe they ran out of bags, couldn’t stop a stranger and ask for one) or it was really dark out or they’re just lazy.That’s not to say everyone does not pick up after their dogs however.I think people that have cats that do not let them outdoors at all (I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment building and my cats cannot open the front heavy secure glass door) – shouldn’t have to register.And why they’re not puting more money into more youth programs for kids to alleviate some violence blows my mind….
The bylaw is a ridiculous piece of legislation that will allow HRM to kill any cat that is found wandering freely. Feral cats, or unregistered cats will be instantly killed, while registered cats will get a 3-day reprieve. God held them if you happen to be away on a business trip and the next-door neighbor who is coming over to feed your cats accidentally let one out. It’s a goner if you’re not home to answer the phone. And then we have the ever-popular provision that lets your nutty neighbor get a trap from HRM to lure cats into his backyard for their demise as well. Cripes, this is nuts!Equally nuts is the person who devised this weeks poll in The Coast. If you have 4 options, don’t make one of them “no” and three of them “yes”. Perhaps they work for HRM?
Keith, your comments illustrate very clearly that you, like most people, have not read the document. Your knee-jerk reaction is based on a synopsis in the newspaper, or worse, someone else’s interpretation of that synopsis. Google “bylaw A300”. Then google “bylaw D100” for good measure. Also, I suspect most of the outrage is coming from people who just don’t want to keep their damn cats in the damn house.
Dagmar, I have read the bylaw, many times. It is exactly as I say it is. If you have read it and can point out any statement I have made that is incorrect, please do so. I am confident that you will not be able to find any such inaccuracy and I stand by my comments. I suspect much of your post is based on a belief that no sane city would pass a bylaw with such provisions. We just did.
Animal Control have ALWAYS had the authority to round up feral and stray cats. Property owners have ALWAYS been allowed to trap cats that stray onto their property. Shelters have ALWAYS had the authority to euthanize unclaimed animals after three days. Furthermore, at NO POINT in the document does it state that unregistered cats will be killed immediately. In fact, Section 16(4) states that “the Shelter Keeper shall receive ALL animals seized pursuant to this bylaw and detain same… for a period of three days.” ALL animals. No distinction is made between registered and unregistered animals.Also, the shelter is not REQUIRED to euthanize animals after three days. It is only PERMITTED to do so after that time. It is also permitted to offer the animals for adoption after, but not before, three days, as per section 17(1). You say no sane city would pass a bylaw such as this. The city passed this law ten years ago. It is, almost verbatim, the old dog control bylaw, amended to include cats. There are only two major changes to that ten year old law: 1, that cat owners are required to keep their animals under their control at all times, and 2, that shelters are specifically prohibited from selling or donating animals to research facilities. Everything else was already there.
Ellbee, if you’re so into into what’s ‘in the nature of the wee beastie’, perhaps you should move out to the Annapolis Valley and get those wee beasties a nice haybarn to play in!
No household pet living in the CITY should be able to roam free unsupervised, it’s for their protection as much as ours.