Cat control and licences in Vernon

[NotNorthAnymore]

IMO this is should have been done decades ago.
Dog owners have to control and clean up after their dogs.
Why should cat owners be exempt from the same rules?

A responsible pet owner (cat or dog) will make sure that their pet is controlled and does not destroy others.
We have owned indoor cats for more than 20 years and never a problem.
Outdoor cats kill the birds that I want to watch and enjoy and crap in my flower bed.

If a dog did half of what a cat did, animal control would be all over the owners with fines and removal of the dogs from the owners.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#131680

IMO this should be the normal procedure through all of BC if not Canada.

The SPCA has stated that they think cats should be licensed.
A SPCA review can be seen here - http://www.spca.bc.ca/assets/documents/ ... -bylaw.pdf

[TJ05]

I think it is a great idea! If owners of cats had to take responsibility of their pets, maybe there would be less unwanted kittens, less cats getting into fights and getting hit by vehicles and no more bother for the neighbors that are sick and tired of kitty using their yard as a litter box. I love how some cat owners say that their cat is not happy to be only indoors and that cats have a right to roam, its in their genes. I have owned cats all my life and they have only been indoors. My oldest is over 20 years old, I attribute part of her age to being spayed and never been outside. If people REALLY loved their cats, they would see the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

[canoecanoe]

Licensing your cat? Really? This is a pure money grab. The next thing is licencing birds, then backyard pond fish, Mice, Ferrets, Rats. this is a Bull Brownies attempt too take even more from people who have even less already.

[Grandan]

Licensing your cat? Really? This is a pure money grab. The next thing is licencing birds, then backyard pond fish, Mice, Ferrets, Rats. this is a Bull Brownies attempt too take even more from people who have even less already.

Many towns and cities already licence cats such as Calgary.
There are plenty of good reasons for it..

[Poindexter]

I can't imagine it's be much of finacial burden unless you have an insane number of cats.

And the chance of you finding your lost cat is much better with a license than a poster on a telephone pole.

The putty tax sounds like a good idea to me.

[Hassel99]

Many towns and cities already licence cats such as Calgary.
There are plenty of good reasons for it..[/quote]

What would those be?

Seems pointless to me, but i am willing to listen if there is a sound arguement.

Most cats have ear tattoos for identification,, so that cant be it.

[Dizzy1]

Licensing your cat? Really? This is a pure money grab. The next thing is licencing birds, then backyard pond fish, Mice, Ferrets, Rats. this is a Bull Brownies attempt too take even more from people who have even less already.

So we can get rid of dog licensing then? :)

[omisimaw]

What a crock!
and yes, do away with dog licenses because as it is ... if you have an indoor pooch you still have to license it.
Licenses are there to identify the animal if it is found stray.
Or are you trying to imply that the license is for the privilege of owning a pet?
A license doesn't stop a dog from crapooling on your lawn and it is hard to read from a distance so even binoculars aren't going to help you identify the animal, and it is a license for the animal not the human who walks the pet and does not pick up.
So yes it is a tax grab and also a funding idea by the local SPCA who want the funds channeled to them so they can be the guards of the cats LOL
But then their is the brain who suggested that funds would be needed to reno a dog kennel to keep cats alongside the dogs, yup that works real well, and there are some prime boarding kennel examples around, none of which a cat person who loves their cat be it indoor or outdoor, would place their cat, even for one night!
And working well in Calgary is a joke, this is not Calgary folks it is the Okanagan, mainly agricultural and rural in comparison to cow town. And besides it is all just words, working well.... show us some actual non biased reports on that will you....
Talk about a waste of council time! Having to listen to this kind of suggestion from a local non profit trying to raise funds for their coffers. Oh and they say something about lowering the spay neuter program ... uh huh but they will have to up the euthanization program cause their facilities are busting at the seams at the best of time just with stray and abandoned, not to mention feral cats!
Un freakin believable!

[wanderingman]

the Vernon SPCA does not need funding,A deceased VERNON women has single handed donated $4000000 that,s four hundred thousand $$ in the last 18 months or so

the idea of a tag is so the pet is connected to a human. when a dog and or cat get caught offending other humans its then able to trace the animal back to the human whom is responsible for any and all of their pets actions
could be a little complicated in the fact of trying to catch a cat on the run

[Bsuds]

could be a little complicated in the fact of trying to catch a cat on the run

Maybe so put the ones with tire tracks on them can be returned, no problem!

[NotNorthAnymore]

Personally I fully agree with the SPCA and support them in this matter.
We have had indoor cats for over 30 years and some of them have lived to almost 20 years.
Outdoor cats never last anywhere near that.

It is because there are too many irresponsible cat owners out there that this issue is finally coming to a head.

If you live by yourself in the middle of nowhere and have a barn for animals - then yes I agree that licenses for pets is a rather moot point at best.

But - if you live in an urban setting, be it a village - town or city and you have neighbours closer than 1k to you - then you need to control your pets. Be it dogs - cats - Iguana or Kangaroos.
Just because you like an animal in your yard - does not mean that your neighbours have to.
Cats are not cute when they are crapping in my flower bed or spraying urine on my door or even yours.

When you have a dog in an urban setting it must be leashed and controlled unless it is in your yard or taken to a special designated off leash area. Fines and removal of the dog can and do happen to people that do not control their dogs.
If your dog attacks someone of any age - expect it to be dead and buried before sundown.

Why should cats be any different at all in an urban area?
They are nothing special once they are outside of your personal property - fair game for dogs and bobcats to kill and eat.
Cats carry many diseases when they are outdoors and if you get scratched by one of these filthy diseased matted balls of fur - it can carry life altering consequences.
This is not equitable pet ownership by any stretch of the imagination.

The ones with tire tracks on them can be shoveled up and dropped on the correct doorstep for disposal by the owner. The registered owner then can be billed for retrieval of the squashed cat and the bill for cleaning the cat parts off of the tires.
If I catch your cat spraying my home or crapping in my flowers or garden I can bill you, the registered owner for the cleanup company I have to hire to remove the hazardous waste or doors and siding stained by your cat.

Like everything else in life, if you do not take care of it - do not expect it to last and never expect anyone else to pay for your lack of responsibility.

[omisimaw]

Good luck everyone and for those with the indoor cats you too will have to license if it goes through! Dog owners have to... but then again they have never discussed stats for animals to licenses and dollars to donuts there are more without licensing than with.
And the cost of administering the licensing .... yup that will cost the taxpayer a bundle as well

Plus do not forget to tell them when you move, anywhere!

Unenforceable and for WM read the SPCA's version of their idea.... you might think they have no need for more funding but they feel differently.... going to have to go with what they say cause they know better than you do.

If the SPCA is so damn concerned about cats, lets see them start organizing and actioning a program to assist in feral cat rescue, or at least fund the organizations out there doing it for them!

I think they should license children. After all it does not matter if you live in an urban area or a village or a small town you still have to control your brats and well look around and you see pretty quickly that is not always the case. Kids running wild in stores, tagging buildings, trashing parks, screaming in public places, fighting .... oh the list can go on but lets just say

you don't like my animal

well back at ya

I don't like your whining brat kid

or your drunk and arrogant spouse

or the color of your house

or the car you drive

Wake up folks, learn to get along....

If someone's animal is bothering you.... resolve the issue with your neighbour in a civil manner, without violence, insults, or aggression.... time to stop complaining and whining and start being civilized

[Auto1]

The problem I have with needing a licence for cats is:

I lived in a city that had that 'rule'. My cats are indoor only cats, but I understood that they could get loose, or that there could be a break in at my house... Besides that, it was a city-wide rule, and I wanted to be a law-abiding citizen. So I bought the licences at atleast $20 per cat for the first year.

My cats made it clear that they were NOT going to wear a collar with the licence displayed, thank you very much anyways. (They were both older, and re-training them, while possible, didn't seem worth it.).

I decided to move back to the Okanagan. I had already sold my house, however the closing date was almost 2 months after I should have renewed the licences. As I was moving in less than 8 weeks, I didn't want to 'waste' the money (I already donate to various Animal Rescue organisations), so I phoned the City and asked if I could be exempt. They emphatically told me "NO". I asked what would happen if I just simply did not pay it. I was told that they could send by-law officers out to my house and they could fine me if cat(s) were found - $250 per animal. I forget how often they could re-issue the fine (every day? Week? ), but it just wasn't worth it.

I do see both sides. I was going to remain in the City for almost 1/6th of a year. But my cats (at the time) did not go outside, and I was moving. (The cats are currently more than welcome out on my huge deck - so glad I don't own a home anymore!).

I agree that cats that are allowed to roam are not fair to neighbours gardens. They may never attack a person, like a dog, but how many of us have swerved to avoid a kitty who decides to dart across a road? At one point my first cat was leash trained, so if she wanted out, I could take her for a walk, or sit with her outside. My cats are a lot older now, than if I had let them be indoor/outdoor animals. They also get plenty of exercise. Well, okay, one of them gets plenty of exercise, the other one is a lazy little so-and-so.

I also agree that the responsible cat owners will be the ones who decide to licence the pets, whereas the people who don't care will chose not to - and then will not claim the animal if lost.

One of the pros of licencing is that they can give huge breaks to people who spay/neuter their pets. (Fixed pets are $20 a year, unfixed are $75.). It gives incentive to be a responsible pet owner.

I hope they don't bring in the licences, but only because there isn't a way to separate indoor from outdoor cats. If they could make it a three tier system, IE
Indoor fixed = $10 a year
Indoor/Outdoor fixed = $20 a year
Unaltered = $75 (Doesn't matter if it is in or out?)

then I could support it.

[NotNorthAnymore]

I hope they don't bring in the licenses, but only because there isn't a way to separate indoor from outdoor cats. If they could make it a three tier system, IE
Indoor fixed = $10 a year
Indoor/Outdoor fixed = $20 a year
Unaltered = $75 (Doesn't matter if it is in or out?)

then I could support it.

Auto1:
I am not sure that prices and tiers have been discussed, but I like your idea.
Makes sense and encourages people to get them spay and neutered as they should be.

[dg3]

the spca on haney rd which is not in vernon, so why are our city staff giving them an ear? this is just a cash grab