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By Julia Lovett-Squires

Dog Bylaw

Town of Battleford passes dangerous dog bylaw

Feb 6, 2024 | 8:15 AM

Dog owners can now face a $10,000 fine and up to six months in jail if they – or their animal – have committed an offence following the passing of the Dangerous Dog Bylaw at the Town of Battleford’s Monday night council meeting.

The bylaw states that it is to “promote the safety, health and welfare of people and the protection of people and property in the Town of Battleford and to ensure the humane treatment of dogs by regulating and prohibiting the keeping of dangerous dogs within the town.”

According to Mayor Ames Leslie, the creation of the new bylaw was partly because there wasn’t a dedicated town bylaw specifically for this purpose but rather buried in the town’s previous Animal Control and Protection bylaw.

“There was really no real significance to it or truth or weight to it so this is just a way to pull that out so we can cite that bylaw specifically to help address or at least to have that conversation with that homeowner to get their animal in check,” he said.

According to the bylaw, a dangerous dog is described as any dog that is deemed to have a history of attacking someone or other animals without first being provoked and has chased or made menacing approaches towards either other people or animals, though there is an exemption for guard dogs.

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Dogs that are trained for fighting also fall under the category – though Leslie said they aren’t looking to single out any one breed.

“In my opinion, in my experience, dogs are only as bad as the training they’ve been given,” he said. “There’s no dogs that are truly dangerous by nature.”

According to Section 20, an official or a peace officer does have the authority – if they believe they have just cause – may enter “with or without a warrant and by force, if necessary, enter the premises, vehicle or chattel, search for the dog and impound it or, if there is an order to destroy or otherwise dispose of the dog, deliver the dog to the person appointed in the order to destroy or otherwise dispose of it.”

Leslie said it must have court support.

“Some people are very protective of their animals and if we have to take the extreme measures to confiscate that dog, then it gives us the ability to do that.”

Meanwhile, among a list of the offences that can be committed under Section 15, training dogs for fighting, such as encouraging the dog to attack another animal or person or any person who owns a dog that injures, attacks or kills another person is considered an offence.

“I think society is starting to realize that punitive penalties or damages is one way to make people realize right from the start that ‘I need to pay attention,’” said Leslie.

“For years, we’ve had $20 fines or $50 fines, and it doesn’t seem like it has the same effect,” he said noting municipalities across the country are doing the same thing.

“If you’re going to violate something as measurable or as potentially hazardous and dangerous as a dangerous dog then the ramifications need to be to the extreme to try and avoid it from happening.”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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