SO 1~A ABBOTSFORD

COUNCIL REPORT

Report NO.EDP088-2012 April 20, 2012 File No: 4040-01

To: From: Subject:

Mayor and Council Gordon Ferguson, Manager, Bylaw Enforcement Allowable Number of Dogs Per Household

RECOMMENDATIONS

Executive Committee

1. THAT Report No. EDP088-2012, dated April 20, 2012, from the Manager, Bylaw Enforcement, regarding the allowable number of dogs per household, be received; and

2. THAT staff work with the City Solicitor to prepare the necessary bylaw amendments to allow three dogs per household and return to Council.

BACKGROUND

Currently, the City's Pound Bylaw and Zoning Bylaw allow a maximum of two dogs per lot. The only exception is through issuance of a kennel licence under the Kennel Regulation Bylaw. Kennels are only allowed where agricultural uses are permitted .

On March 5, 2012, Ms. D. Davies appeared before Council, as a delegation. Ms. Davies requested that the City increase the allowable number of dogs per household from two to three. Council subsequently directed staff to prepare a report regarding the advantages and disadvantages of allowing three dogs per household. Later, in discussions with staff, Ms. Davies requested that bylaw provisions be made to allow the number of dogs to be exceeded under extraordinary circumstances.

ANALYSIS

According to a pet ownership study by Ipsos Reid in 2001 1 one third of Canadian households own a dog. Of those who own a dog, one in five own more than one dog. The study did not further report how many households have, for example, three or more dogs; however, it stated that 50% of all those surveyed believe that people should be limited to the number of pets they own. In addition, the study stated that:

• there were over five million dogs living in Canadian homes; • on a national basis, Canadians consider animal companionship to be important; • four in ten believe that pets can be a good substitute for human companionship; • seven in ten strongly agree with the statement "it's good for a kid's development

to grow up with pets".

1 http://www.ctv.ca/generic/WebSpecials/pdf/Paws and Claws.pdf

•

Report No. EDP088-2012 Page 2 of 3

Approximately 8,500 dogs were licensed in the City in 2011. Out of all households with a licensed dog, approximately one third have two dogs and two thirds have one dog. It is suspected that some households already own a third dog, which cannot be licensed due to current bylaws.

Out of 19 local municipalities surveyed by staff, 11 allow three dogs, seven allow two dogs and one allows four dogs (Attachment "A").

Advantages of Allowing Three Dogs per Household

Advantages of allowing three dogs per household are:

1. greater opportunity for unwanted dogs to find a home and therefore reduce animal shelter costs (e.g. a person owning two dogs may adopt a third, homeless dog); this, in turn, may cause less stress for owners forced to give up a dog due to personal circumstances;

2. increase in dog licence revenue, (both from owners that may seek to obtain a third dog and from those that may already own a third, unlicensed dog).

Disadvantages of Allowing Three Dogs per Household

The following dog-related calls for service were handled by the City's animal control officers between February 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

Type Number Vicious concerns 108 Barking 354 Dogs at large 762 Unlicensed Dogs 85 Dangerous Dogs at Large 1 Other 35 Total 1,345

Increasing the allowable number of dogs per household (and, therefore, increasing the total number of dogs within the City) may result in an increase in calls for animal control service. However, it could be argued that calls of this type relate to irresponsible ownership rather than number of dogs owned. In other words, an irresponsible dog owner may be the cause of problems regardless of the number of dogs kept.

Limiting the Number of Dogs per Lot (versus Household)

Currently, the bylaws limit the number of dogs per "lot". This means:

1. the limit on the number of dogs applies to the whole of a rental apartment building, since it is located on one legal lot;

2. only two dogs are allowed in a house with a secondary suite.

It is recommended that the bylaw apply to households as opposed to "lots". For example, the number of dogs allowed in a strata-unit should be the same as a rental apartment. Property owners may, of course impose their own limitations.

Report No. EDP088-2012 Page 3 of 3

Proposal to Allow the Number of Dogs to be Exceeded under Extraordinary Circumstances

Ms. Davies proposed that the City's bylaws should allow for a person to exceed the allowable number of dogs under extraordinary circumstances. For example, the children of an elderly couple might not be able to take in a dog owned by their parents, upon their passing, because the children already own the maximum allowable number of dogs. Staff searched, but did not identify any municipalities that provide such a system, which could be problematic to administer and may not be legally possible. Council may wish staff to explore this matter with the City Solicitor.

RELEVANCE TO STRATEGIC PLAN

Increasing the allowable number of dogs per household is not directly relevant to the Strategic Plan. However, dog owners may view this as increasing quality of life which supports the City's goal to provide a safe, healthy and inclusive community.

FINANCIAL PLAN IMPLICATION

If the number of allowable dogs per household is increased, there will be a slight increase in dog licence revenue.

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Current regulations are contained in the Zoning Bylaw. Amending the Zoning Bylaw will require a Public Hearing. Two advertisements for the Public Hearing will be published in the City Page of the local newspaper.

CONCLUSION

Currently, the City only allows two dogs to be kept per lot, while many other municipalities allow three dogs. Increasing the allowable number of dogs from two to three would be supported by many dog owners and would likely cause no significant problems.

Development

ATTACHMENT "A"

Number of Dogs Allowed

Municipality Number Abbotsford Township of Langley City of Langley Surrey 2 Burnaby White Rock Delta Chilliwack Mission Port Coquitlam Maple Ridge Vancouver North Vancouver (City) 3 North Vancouver (District) West Vancouver Richmond Pitt Meadows Coquitlam Port Moody 4