WESTLOCK - Following a series of public hearings and multiple revisions, the county's new dog bylaw has passed its third and final reading during Westlock County's regular council meeting on Oct. 22.
Council first passed the bylaw’s second reading with amended changes, including renaming it the Responsible Dog Ownership Bylaw.
“This was a big undertaking,” said Reeve Christine Wiese, praising the dedication and effort of council throughout the process.
Westlock County's Chief Administrative Officer, Tony Kulbisky, said that the initiative was prompted by an increasing trend of bylaw officers responding to incidents involving loose dogs. He also said there is a growing issue of abandoned dogs being dropped off in the county.
While the bylaw is for hamlets and subdivisions and not farms, Coun. Sherri Provencal urged all county residents to consider registering their dogs.
“It would be a smart move for everyone who owns a dog,” she said, pointing out that registration would help in reuniting lost pets with their owners.
County residents will be able to upload their dog's photo and description when registering them on the county website, helping to distinguish between strays and owned pets.
Westlock County held three open houses to get public feedback on the bylaw.
County residents will be able to upload their dog’s photo and description onto the county website when registering them.
There won’t be any registration fees for this fiscal year.
While guardian dogs will need to be registered, service dogs are exempt from the requirement.
