Mountain View County councillors have OK'd the municipality's new dog control bylaw, which includes new provisions regarding agricultural guardian dogs.
During the April16 regularly scheduled council meeting, councillors passed a motion approving Bylaw No. 01/13, which replaces the former dog control bylaw passed in 2004.
The new bylaw includes a number of new definitions, including for agricultural guardian dogs, which are dogs with the primary purpose of protecting livestock or agricultural property.
Under the bylaw agricultural dogs are exempt from the provision applying to other dogs that prohibits animals to bark or howl excessively.
However, that exception only applies to agricultural guardian dogs engaged in the “performance of its duties on agricultural parcels of ten acres or greater.”
The bylaw also includes a new provision that “dog used for the purpose of herding or protection of livestock or hunting, if off the property of the owner performing these functions for the owner shall not be considered to be running at large.”
Running at large is defined as “any dog not under the physical control of a responsible and competent person and off the property of the owner or keeper.”
The bylaw also includes a new schedule of fines and penalties. Fines now include the following: $1,000 for allowing a vicious/restricted dog to chase a person (up from $600), $1,500 for vicious/restricted dog to injure or bite a person (up from $1,000), and $1,500 for allowing a vicious/restricted dog to bite or injure another animal.
During the April 10 council meeting, councillors unanimously passed a motion approving the new bylaw.
