DIDSBURY – Citing a decline in the need for town-owned traps for public use in capturing stray cats in the municipality, council has voted to rescind the 2009 Trapping of Cats policy.
The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and online.
The town is currently undergoing a review of various protective service and municipal enforcement policies, leading to the proposed rescinding of PS-02 Trapping Cats Policy, council heard.
“Upon review, the policy was identified as a policy that is outdated and is no longer representative of the service level that is provided,” said acting chief administrative officer Amanda Riley.
The policy enables residents of the municipality to rent town-owned traps in spring and summer for a deposit of $100 and residents using the traps are required to regularly check the traps to ensure trapped animals are handled in a humane way, council heard.
“It is the preference of administration that town-owned cat traps only be used and operated by animal control officers to ensure proper care and handling of animals and the traps,” she said.
“It is understood that historically, there was a sizeable population of stray cats within the town boundary and therefore cat traps were used as population control. However, issues have since subsided and there is no longer a need to employ cat traps outside of the use by animal control officers.”
Administration believes that the provisions of the town’s Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw authorize the town to access sufficient resources to maintain the cat population without renting traps to residents, she said.
Coun. Bill Windsor said, “I’m happy to see this policy disappear.”
