High on the list of infringements has been having dogs off the lead in areas where this is not permitted. Another has been for owners leaving dogs at home which then cause a nuisance because of their constant barking.
The bylaw has led to improvements in managing the number of stray and abandoned animals. There have been campaigns stressing responsible pet ownership and observance of the bylaw and other campaigns for identifying and neutering animals and for managing cat colonies. A further improvement has come about because of dog parks.
At the municipal pound, animal well-being has been improved by, for example, installing shades to stop dogs being exposed to direct sunlight. In 2018, 194 dogs were taken in. Eleven per cent of these were handed in by owners; the rest were picked up from the streets. Of the latter, around a quarter had no identification. This is a breach both of the municipal bylaw and regional regulations.
Seventy per cent of the dogs were recovered by owners. The other thirty per cent were adopted. A basic objective of the town hall is to reduce the need to put dogs down to zero.
