After dragging the current animal control legislation by the leash this month, Trail council decided it didn’t have an appetite for changing its breed-specific bylaw at Monday night’s meeting.
The majority of council – Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs, and councillors Robert Cacchioni, Eleanor Gattafoni Robinson and Rick Georgetti – voted against bringing it back to the table for discussion.
“The bylaw is working right now and we’ve had subtle interest in changing it but not a great deal of interest,” said Cacchioni.
“Many of the people I’ve talked to said quite clearly that they’re happy with the way the bylaw is and that those breeds (Pitbull Terrier) should be restricted.”
The current city bylaw not only lumps a Pitbull Terrier into its vicious dog category but charges owners $300 to license this breed while other dogs – deemed vicious or not – cost $25 with a veterinarian certificate noting the animal has been neutered or $100 if it hasn’t.
In compliance with the BC SPCA’s model, staff suggested at a previous meeting to remove pitbulls from the city’s vicious dog definition and target animals deemed vicious with the $300 increased fee.
But language in the amended version left council tabling further action until Monday’s meeting, where the procedure was killed, leaving the current legislation enacted in 1999 in tact.
“I had a pitbull-cross and I raised that dog as a friendly dog with the kids and although she never bothered the kids, she ate every cat in the neighbourhood and there was nothing I could do,” said Cacchioni.
Mackinlay, who initiated discussion on the city’s breed-specific bylaw back in January, respected council’s decision, though it differed from his own opinion.
“I think it’s something that definitely needs to be addressed in the future,” he said.