Should the city restrict the amount of cats and dogs a person can own?
It's a question Coun. Aldo Ruberto is bringing to council Monday night. Currently there is no bylaw on the books restricting the number of dogs or cats a person can own. Until recently that wasn't a issue but Ruberto said the city is hearing more and more complaints.
"In the last couple of years there's been hoarding issues where people are starting to hoard not only products and materials things but also animals and we are very concerned for the animals, the individual and the neighbours," Ruberto said.
Issues range from noise complaints to unsanitary conditions.
"The smell sometimes is outrageous," Ruberto said. "We want to have the power to step in and first of all prevent the situation number one, and number two if it's happening we want to be able to take quick action."
Ruberto is asking for city administration to study bylaws in other cities to see what's being done. He also said that a majority of pet owners are loving and responsible.
Pet owners at the dog park near Port Arthur Stadium Friday agreed that the city should do something to restrict the number of pets a person can have, especially in smaller places like apartment buildings.
"A lot of people get carried away and have too many of them and then the pets suffer," Josie Quaresima, who was dog sitting for her daughter, said.
"I'm surprised Thunder Bay is behind on that."
Kyle Atkinson said maybe there could be a bylaw that was only enforced in circumstances such as the person or pet's welfare was at stake. Hoarding pets though needs to be looked at.
"That's ridiculous and it shouldn't be allowed," he said.
Wilfred Finlayson agreed.
"It shouldnt' turn into a zoo," he said.
But Finlayson, Quaresima and others said that while it's surprising the city doesn't have bylaws in place, it should be more concerned with the state of its dog parks. Having a water supply to access at the parks would be a start.
"I think the city should be more concerned about maintaining the dog parks," Finlayson said. "Instead of how many dogs are in an apartment."
