WAKAW LAKE — Important changes were made by the council of the RM of Hoodoo with the passing of a new bylaw at their regular June meeting.
Bylaw 8 of 2023 replaces Bylaw 5 of 2010 and addresses the problem of uncontrolled domestic animals around Wakaw Lake. Bylaw 5 of 2010 only specifically addressed dogs running at large in the Organized Hamlet of Cudsaskwa, but the problems with domestic animals, defined as any animal that is not wild and is kept as a pet, exist at all the beaches along the lake.
The new bylaw, therefore, applies to all beaches around Wakaw Lake and has been enacted to “promote the safety, health, and welfare of people and the protection of people and property around Wakaw Lake …, and to ensure the humane treatment and control of animals.”
Domestic animals can wreak havoc with the wildlife that makes its home in the area around the lake as well as disturbing and inconveniencing other cabin owners and campers. Domestic animals can carry and transmit disease to native species, including species at risk, as well as harassing and killing them. Specific mention is made in the new bylaw of dogs and cats, as they are the most common domestic animal that is brought by owners to cabins and campgrounds around the lake.
The new bylaw addresses issues such as running at large, defecating on public and private property other than the property where the animal is housed, nuisance behaviour, and abandonment. It is a contravention of the bylaw to “abandon a domestic animal within the boundaries of the Municipality.” The penalty for failing to adhere to any part of the Bylaw is a fine of $100.00 for the first offense and $200.00 for the second and subsequent offenses. Nuisance behaviour includes barking, howling, hissing, attempting to or succeeding in biting any person or other animal, chasing vehicles/bicycles/people, or urinating, defecating, or spraying on or otherwise damaging or interfering with another’s property.
It is understandable that pet owners want to bring four-legged family members along with the rest of the family on vacations, but it should come as no surprise that ownership responsibilities don’t end simply because one is on vacation. While the majority of pet owners don’t need to be reminded of their responsibilities, unfortunately, there are those who feel that they don’t need to restrain or clean up after their pet, be it Fido or Fluffy, when they are at the lake. No one wants to be cleaning animal excrement off their shoes, especially when it could have been prevented by continuing the practices commonly expected and legislated in towns and cities across the country.
With the enactment of this bylaw, the RM of Hoodoo is also tackling an issue this reporter documented in an article titled, “Pets are Not Disposable” (Wakaw Recorder, July 21, 2022) Across the country animal shelters are reporting an increase in pet abandonment as the cost of living continues to climb. With the cost of rent, groceries, and utilities escalating, sadly, pets become the expense that is most easily cut and if shelters are full, some owners make the decision to take the pet on a one-way trip to a place they will be unable to return from like a park, campground, or rural area with cats being far more likely to be abandoned than dogs. Due to the lingering effects of the pandemic (‘pandemic pets’ being relinquished), shelters and rescue groups are still struggling to manage the number of cats and kittens in their care.
Cat overpopulation and abandonment has been an issue in Saskatchewan for years and it is not unknown to Wakaw Lake.
“Cats who have lived indoors their entire lives can’t just be put outside. Cats who are accustomed to being cared for by humans do not have the skills to fend for themselves outdoors. The pet cat may have trouble finding a food source, water, and shelter. Putting a cat outdoors permanently, when she has never been there before, is putting the cat into a dangerous, negative situation. It’s cruel, and it’s animal abandonment.” (Addressing Abandonment, alleycat.org)
According to the Animal Protection Act of Saskatchewan, cruelty is defined as “causing or allowing an animal to be in distress willfully or by negligence.” Section 2 (2) of the Animal Protection Act states that an animal is in distress if it is: deprived of adequate food, water, care, or shelter; injured, sick, in pain, or suffering; abused or neglected. (www.animalprotectionservices.ca) Unfortunately, unlike on television, there are not the resources available to track down and investigate the many cases of individual animal abandonment, especially in a province like ours that still has huge tracts of sparsely populated land. The benefits of having a locally enforceable bylaw bring the issue to the forefront in people’s consciousness so discussions like these happen, raising awareness of the problem and educating those who may not be aware of the seriousness of the problem.
Cats on average live 15-20 years, while the average lifespan for dogs is around 15. Pets should be a commitment people make for the extent of its life, not just while it is convenient. To use a quote of Ashlee Bober, Manager of the Prince Albert SPCA, from a September 23, 2021, article in paNow, “It’s a lengthy commitment. It’s not a small task, you are taking on a life and that life is precious.” A volunteer and board member with the Meadow Lake Humane Society, Desiree Lalonde, puts it a bit more bluntly, “Do not abandon them when you move away. Do not abandon them if something in your life happens that makes it a bit more difficult. Stick with the animal. You made a commitment and a responsibility to them.”
Any individual witnessing a contravention of the bylaw can file a complaint with the RM of Hoodoo’s Bylaw Enforcement Officer.
