Olds council is right to take time to review and revise a couple of the town's bylaws with respect to dogs and other animals.
Those bylaws are the town's Land Use and Community Standards bylaws.
I know, it's agonizing to have to wait for those changes to be made — especially in the wake of a horrific incident Aug. 3 when Trevor and Rhonda Dodd's dog Jake was killed by several dogs that escaped from a breeder's yard.
Something clearly has to be done.
Let's hope Rhonda's dire warning that "someone is going to die" unless changes are made to those bylaws is not proven correct.
However, town officials are right and quite prudent to ensure any changes proposed and eventually enacted have been carefully created on the advice of lawyers, because as they say, such legislation is virtually certain to be challenged in court.
And it's far better to take the time now to do this right than have to redo it after what could be a very lengthy and costly legal battle, financed of course, by local taxpayers.
Councillors and staff did say they expect to bring back the bylaws with revisions this fall, which is somewhat comforting, because again, something must be done as soon as is prudent, for the safety of the public.
Kudos to the Dodds and some of their friends and supporters for having the courage to express sadness over the Aug. 3 tragedy and their concerns about potentially dangerous dogs during an Aug. 26 town council meeting. Laying bare those very personal feelings in such a public forum is not easy.
Mayor Mike Muzychka and several councillors expressed their sympathy with the Dodds and invited them to attend council when the revised bylaws come back for council to peruse.
It sounds like the Dodds will take them up on that invitation, although Rhonda clearly remains wary.
After the issue was discussed in council, the Dodds were asked if they felt council had listened to their concerns.
"I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that changes will be made in this town," Rhonda said.
"Trevor and I plan to keep on it, watch what the town does, make sure that they are staying on task, because we realize it's going to take time. But we need them to move on it, not put it on the back burner, and that's my biggest fear."
She is so right. And council is duly warned.
