OLDS — Sixty per cent of Olds residents who responded to a town survey and engagement period say dog breeding operations should not be allowed in residential areas and 73 per cent say dog kennel operations should not be allowed in residential areas either.
Sixty-six per cent say a dog should be euthanized if it is “deemed by a licensed veterinarian unfit for adoption or public safety due to observed behaviours.”
Fifty per cent say that should occur if it is “continuing as an active and imminent danger to persons or other animals,” while 36 per cent say it should be put down if it bites at least one person causing severe injury, and 32 per cent say that should happen if it bites at least two people in separate incidents.
Also, 79 per cent of respondents believe consequences or fines should increase, depending on the severity of damage inflicted.
Most respondents believe that three or four licensed dogs should be the maximum number allowed per household.
Currently, town rules say a household can have up to six dogs three months of age or older. They can’t have any more unless they obtain a valid business licence from the town.
Those are just some of the results of the survey, which will be revealed during the Nov. 25 Olds town council meeting.
Administrative staff are recommending that council accept the results of the survey as information and that staff be directed to bring back draft recommendations on rules regarding dogs to council’s policies and priorities meeting on Dec. 3.
The issue of dogs and dog breeders in town hit full force Aug. 3 when Jake, a dog belonging to local residents Rhonda and Trevor Dodd was killed inside its dog run by three or four dogs belonging to Lindsay Walsh who was running a dog breeding business called Alberta XL Bullies.
It’s believed the dogs escaped from Walsh’s yard when a gate was left open and forced their way into the dog run.
The Dodds brought their concerns about the incident to an Aug. 26 council meeting.
In the wake of that meeting, from Nov. 1-18, a survey was made available online and in paper form so residents could provide their thoughts about what the rules should be regarding dogs in the community.
Two information sessions were also held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 105 on Nov. 7 and 12, providing an opportunity for residents to provide input directly to town staff.
At least 408 surveys were collected; 398 were completed online and 10 paper copies were received. About 20 people attended the public meetings.
It was the first time the town had made use of its new website survey module.
The Dodds attended the open houses and they’re hopeful some positive changes will be made to the community standards bylaw, which governs dogs in the town.
For example, after speaking to community services director Doug Wagstaff, they’re hopeful the number of dogs allowed per residence will be “seriously looked into and changed” in January.
They’re also hopeful that there’ll be new rules regarding business licences for dog breeders, although they understand that “will take longer.”
If those rules aren’t in effect, they fear it will be a “free-for-all” in Olds for dog breeders.
However, the Dodds still feel town officials haven’t communicated with them sufficiently.
“We initiated the conversation during the open houses,” Rhonda wrote in an email.
They still suspect that one dog involved in the attack has not actually been euthanized as authorities had told them because large sections of a document regarding that euthanization delivered to them were blacked out.
They also believe the town could have done more to prevent dogs from posing a threat – and even biting -- other animals and people, including Walsh’s girlfriend, who was attacked by one of the dogs during the Aug. 3 incident.
“I’m exhausted from it. I can’t sleep. I think about it the first thing in the morning, half the night,” Rhonda said during an interview. “They got out once. What’s to stop them from getting out again?”
Town officials were contacted by email for response to the Dodds’ concerns. Town officials noted the matter is coming to council on Nov. 25.
