Confusion over cat licences

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This article was published 03/01/2015 (4291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Starting New Year’s Day, Winnipeggers have been required to purchase a licence for their cats, but the bylaw appears to have confused — or alarmed — pet owners who have bombarded animal shelters with questions.

Owners now have to pay an annual fee of $15 for spayed or neutered cats and $50 for “intact” animals. It is suggested that pets wear a small metal tag on a breakaway collar proving they are licensed, but this is not obligatory and the city says a tattoo or microchip will do.

Owners have mixed feelings.

“I think it’s fair. It’s a once-a-year fee. However, I don’t see how they are going to enforce it considering how many people have cats,” said Amanda Cheyne-Hill, who plans on buying the licence.

The city’s website says the scheme is intended to “curb the cat overpopulation problem.” Officials say it will protect lost animals, including those escaping from fires and floods, and will also help fund spay-and-neuter programs.

Offenders face a minimum fine of $250 for an unlicensed cat, but Leland Gordon, the chief operating officer of the city’s animal services agency said officers will not turn up at your door for now.

“The biggest mechanism is through 311 where someone can report them. Right now it’s more of the honour system. It will prove a problem if their animal is picked up,” said Gordon.

Shelters say pet owners are asking a lot of questions. And some, they say, are suggesting they will surrender their pets because they cannot afford to pay.

“Most of them are saying they don’t agree with it. They are finding it a hardship because they have more than one cat,” said Fay Demedash, shelter manager of Craig Street Cats. “We have even had calls with people asking to surrender their cats because they can’t afford it.”

On Friday, the shelter had 226 cats, more than its capacity, and organizers have had to turn away people looking to surrender their cats.

Jackie Miller, owner of indoor cat Leo, is one of the shelter’s members who disagrees with the bylaw. “I don’t really understand why it needs to be done in the first place,” she said.

D’Arcy’s A.R.C. founder D’Arcy Johnston said the bylaw is the only way to funnel money into city finances to help shelters such as his. Pet owners, he said, have been contacting the shelter about registration.

“We had a number of phone calls with people panicking that they were coming to their doors,” he said.

Johnson said a microchip or tattoo number, previously the sole means of identifying a cat, are the starting point. His shelter processes 600 adoptions a year, and fees now will include the licence for a year.

Gordon said Winnipeg is one of the last major cities to introduce cat licensing, and the process should be one of educating the public. Owners have nothing to fear and should soon recognize the benefits.

“It really gives you the best chance of getting your pet back, in the case of tragic circumstances,” he said.

bhobson@freepress.mb.ca