Dog’s are a person’s best friend, but the city wants to make sure all owners are following the bylaws in place to keep their animal, and the public safe.
As part of July’s Bylaw Enforcement Education Program, Enforcement Officers will be looking to provide a little more insight and awareness when it comes to how they enforce animal control in Grande Prairie.
Sgt. Charlene Gallant says the majority of complaints they get from residents stems from dogs going off-leash in places they shouldn’t be.
“It increases the chances of dog bites and dog attacks. If you’ve got a dog running around and they’re not in a dog park, getting in an altercation with another dog or just biting the owner or somebody walking by on the property. It’s so paramount for people to keep their dogs on leashes and under control.”
She adds the city has four off-leash dog areas were animals are free to roam under the eye of their owner, but when that behaviour happens in neighbourhoods, it can have tragic consequences.
“They run into traffic, they get hit by vehicles, they can cause accidents, as far as somebody stopping for a dog running across the street.”
The fine for an animal attacking a person can go as high as $750.
Gallant says another thing to keep in mind is you can be fined for not picking up after your pets, and it has become more of a problem as the weather gets nicer and the days get longer.
“We are getting an increased number of calls even in the dog park where the dogs are running around and people aren’t responding to pick up after their dog.”