In the News

"Debate on exotic critters may be unleashed"

(Copyright The Lindsay Daily Post 2006)

KAWARTHA LAKES - Spiders, bats and gorillas.

Council is to decide today whether these and other animals the city defines as "exotic" are worthy of regulation or not.

A committee last week backed off on proposing restrictions on exotic critters in the city, opting to let pre-amalgamation bylaws stick. But council could reverse that decision today and perhaps kickstart public debate.

Council has been somewhat productive on animal control.

A unified set of bylaws on dogs was introduced, bringing together the various pre-amalgamation rules which existed across Victoria County.

Council decided to get out of the business of regulating cats, repealing all bylaws restricting the number of felines allowed per household.

Council also amended Lindsay's bylaw on poultry, restricting households to three hens each.

In January, staff was asked to look into regulating other animals in Kawartha Lakes with clerk Judy Currins' report on the corporate and human resource services committee's agenda last week. It was decided the time wasn't right to bring in bylaws, at least for now, for more exotic species.

But council may decide to reverse the committee's vote and go with one of the options in Currins' report, which range from restricting the animals from public spaces to banning them outright.

Currins' contraband list, culled from some similar bylaws in other municipalities, included animals residents would normally associate with zoos, such as hippos, alligators and even hyenas.

If councillors opt for a bylaw, both enforcement capabilities and impounding facilities would have to be tendered out, the report said.

Exempted in the proposed bylaws are zoos, pet stores, animals used in research as well as pets already owned.

Currins did note some potential problems.

"Should the bylaw pass, this could have a major impact on the city if those current owners decide to abandon their exotic animal," she wrote.

Currins gave options to elected officials: repeal all existing bylaws on "exotic" animals, or give first reading to one of the proposed bylaws.

Currins said a first reading would be a "signal" to the public that council is considering such a move, and would serve as an invitation for public debate and input from stakeholders.

Currins noted the city had not recorded a single residential complaint about exotic animals for at least three-and-a-half years, but added that untracked "inquiries" have filtered in.

"We'll see what council wants to do with it," said committee chair Howard Robinson last week.

rzakaluzny@thepost.ca