The Foundation of a Safe, Humane Community

The keeping of companion animals creates challenges and opportunities for those who are responsible for the care and control of these animals, as well as for other members of the community. Management of companion animals in a municipality is important not only for public health and safety, but also for the welfare of the animals themselves. Bylaws should form the foundation of effective community animal management by enabling regulatory control of certain activities, and by facilitating programming that encourages responsible companion animal ownership.

A review of existing bylaws in British Columbia's 43 largest municipalities conducted by the BC SPCA in 2007 indicated that most BC municipalities are lacking adequate bylaws for the regulation of:

• Dangerous dogs
  
• Identification of companion animals
  
• Ownership, sale, and exhibition of exotic or wild animals
  
• Basic requirements for animal care
  
• Companion animal population control
  
• Kennel and cattery licencing
  
• Pet store licencing

For this reason, the BC SPCA has developed a Model Animal Control Bylaw as a resource for municipal governments. They are derived mainly from existing bylaws that are proving effective in protecting public safety and ensuring animal welfare in other jurisdictions. These bylaws focus on the root causes of animal aggression and pet overpopulation, which are strongly linked to the factors that may compromise the well-being of animals in a community.

The BC SPCA Model Animal Control Bylaw includes background information and sample bylaws on the following topics:

• Animal Control, including licensing and identification of dogs and cats, control of dangerous dogs, basic standards of animal care and prohibition of exotic species.
  
• Licensing of Kennels and Catteries used for Breeding and Boarding
  
• Licensing of Pet Stores
  
• Management of Pet Overpopulation, Including Implementation of Low-Income Spay/Neuter Funds

The BC SPCA strongly encourages all municipalities in BC to consider adopting these model bylaws as part of the comprehensive approach needed to address companion animal issues in any community. We will provide any municipality in BC with one complimentary copy of the Model Bylaw. Additional copies may be purchased from our online store. The BC SPCA is also available to provide limited consulting services to local government where additional assistance may be required.