TakingCareofyourBestFriendsBusiness.

WalkingdownthestreetsofFortNelson,glancinginthetruckboxes
of vehicles parked along 50th avenue, or while enjoying the
riverscapeunderthe MuskwaRiverBridge,onequicklynoticesthe
manyfourleggedcitizensinourcommunity.
DogloversaboundintheNRRM,anditisimportanttoensurethat
ourcommunityremainsopenandwelcomingtoourcaninefriends.
However, as Regional Council noted in a recent meeting, it is also
important that dogs, their owners, and their neighbours can all
enjoythemselveswithoutsteppingoneachothers...toes.
TherearemanycitiesandtownsinCanadathathavedesignatedoff
leash areas, created fenced offleash dog parks, and have
implemented new regulations to ensure the quality of life for all
theircitizensfourleggersandtheirownersalikeiskeptatahigh
standard. Actions in other jurisdictions have ranged from simply
increasing fees to requiring feces samples for DNA databases that
allow municipal officials to catch dog owners who refuse to scoop
whentheirdogspoop.
Municipal bylaw #712 is the Animal Control Bylaw which requires
licensing for dogs, provides limitations on ownership of dangerous
dogs, requires owners to provide adequate care for their animals,
prohibits animals from being kept in unsanitary conditions, among
othersimilarprovisions.Theanimalcontrolofficer(2507750048)
works to remove stray animals and enforce this bylaw when
necessary. To learn more about this and other bylaws in the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, you can go to
www.northernrockies.caandclicktheBylawssectionunderWhatsNewonthelefthandside.
Waste,thetopicofmanycomplaints,isanissueforanumberofreasons:thefirstandmostobviousisthatpeopledo
notwishtostepinunexpectedsurprisesonthesidewalk.Howeverotherissueswithdogwasteisthatitharmslawns,it
smells,itdecreasesthegeneralattractivenessofourtownandsometimesdamagestreesaswell.
AtarecentNRRMcouncilmeeting,RegionalCouncildeterminedthatdespiteanincreaseinfines,alotofpeoplesimply
forgettobringabagthatenablesthemtopickupaftertheirdog.Tomakeiteasier,theNRRMhasinstalleddogwaste
bagstationsaroundtownatGarryGriffin(Firefighters)Park,BoundaryRoad,KlondikeTownhouseParkEntrance,and
BobPricePark.TheNRRMisofferingthespaceonthedispenserstointerestedadvertisers,andisopentosuggestions
fornewlocationsthatwouldbebeneficialtocitizens.(Formoreinfo,gotowww.northernrockies.ca.)
LifewithoutadogisunthinkableformanypeoplewhomakeFortNelsonandotherareaswithintheNRRMhome.Our
communityisinanenviablepositionwithmanyplacesinsideandoutsidetheTownwherepeoplecantaketheirdogsto
gettheirexercise,play,orjustenjoytheoutdoors.TheNRRMwillcontinuetoworktoensurethatadequatespaceand
guidelinesexistforeverincreasingstandardsoflivingforallofourtwoandfourleggedcitizens.
submitted