Animal regulation a failure

The intent of the animal control bylaw concerning cats, as I recall, was to control the perceived growth of the population of cats in Saskatoon. It has turned out to be an ineffective set of regulations that only swelled the number of abandoned animals. The bylaw encourages people to abandon their unlicensed pets when faced with the high fines and pound fees. Running a red light will cost you about as much in fines ( $250) as for having an unlicensed pet. The result is that the Saskatoon SPCA and other Animal rescue programs are overloaded with untaken animals.

A more reasonable solution to the cat population problem would be a subsidized spay and neuter program, and a public education program to encourage responsible pet ownership. Yes, there's an income tested spay and neuter program offered by the SPCA, but information about it is scant. A more effective program would not be as showy as the River Landing project, but some changes need to be made if the city is serious about Animal welfare. The licensing fees that are currently being collected are simply a tax on pet ownership and an added managerial burden on our civic employees.