This is meant to
document our attempts to implement policy, procedures and facilities in the
Town of Athabasca to deal with the stray cat problem. This file will grow, since there is a great deal to be said on
the subject. Hopefully in the fullness
of time it will be helpful to other organizations and authorities. Trish was asked to address a Town Council
meeting on the subject, and below is a newspaper report:
Cats
can be great pets and eager rodent rooters, but when cat numbers get out of
control, something has to be done.
Few
communities take action on cat issues, but Athabasca town council is taking a
swipe at dealing with problems in this community.
Trish
Bazalgette of the Tizzie Bazalcat Shelter for Homeless Cats in Athabasca
approached town council last Tuesday night with some concerns and recommendations.
"I
want to emphasize, there is an immediate problem that has to be dealt with
immediately," said Bazalgette. "Cats are being trapped, but there's
no place to keep them."
She
and her husband, Charles, operate the Bazalcat Shelter at their own expense.
They take in stray and abandoned cats, and tend to them until new homes can be
found, but the cat problem in Athabasca has become much more serious.
Trish is recommending that the town establish a process and a facility for dealing with cats. "I recommend you get yourself a set of kennels, so Shirley has a place to keep them," advised Bazalgette.
Shirley
Harper, town bylaw enforcement officer, takes trapped cats home for lack of
anywhere else to keep them.
"We
have to stop sending cats to Rochester, but at the moment, Shirley has no
alternative," said Bazalgette.
She
recommended that the town establish a suitable place to impound cats, plus a
euthanasia policy, and proper administrative controls.
"You
need a paper trail: where traps are set, how long they are there, where the
animals are taken to. And you have to come up with a policy to dispose of the
animals."
Councillor
Mike Gismondi thanked Bazalgette for the service the Bazalcat Shelter provides
to the community.
"This
is our problem - the community's problem," acknowledged Gismondi. "I
commend you for the work you have done."
Councillor
Colleen Powell recalled discussion council had regarding ways to inform the
public of the issue.
"We
have talked about putting a series of guides in with utility bills," noted
Powell. "Just the basic information should go into the utility bill at
some point."
Councillor
Lionel Cherniwchan recommended that a plan be developed to totally address the
cat issue.
"I
recommend that we direct administration along with the bylaw enforcement
officer to address the concerns as presented, then bring a package back to
council for consideration," said Cherniwchan.
Powell advised that the town presently
has bylaws governing cats. Town manager Doug Topinka highlighted the challenge
of enforcing the bylaws.
"It is fine to have a by- law...
(but) it is pretty hard to prove ownership in a court of law," stated
Topinka, admitting that education was a good first step.
Council approved Cherniwchan's
recommendation to pursue the cat problem issue and come up with a plan.”