Bylaw unfair to dog owners, Neebing man says

A man in Neebing says the municipality south of Thunder Bay is forcing him to get rid of his sled dogs.

Neebing councilpassed a bylaw this yearrestricting how many dogs can be kept on a property.

It also prohibits keeping dogs outside within 50 metres of a neighbour's property and says dogs can't disrupt neighbours with noise.

Darren Lentz received a notice last month telling him his six sled dogs have to go. He said it won't be easy to find new homes for them.

"If the municipality creates a law around removing pets from places, they should have in place a plan of where they're going to put those pets," Lentz said.

Lentz added he thinks the bylaw should be grandfathered to exempt existing dog owners.

CBC was unable to reach the mayor of Neebing, Ziggy Polkowski, for comment on this story.

Lentz said he called the municipality to ask what he's supposed to do if he can't find a home for them, and he was told they are his responsibility.

His family originally purchased property in Neebing knowing that they could bring their dogs there after doing research and contacting the municipal office beforehand.

"It's almost like kicking somebody when they're down," Lentz said about being given a deadline to find a new home for his pets.

"Absolutely, it's difficult to do. I mean dogsledding is a part of our life. Any dog mushers out there, any pet owners out there, know that if you have to tell your family you're getting rid of your dogs or your cats or whatever animal, they become part of your family. My kids were attached to them. They grew up with them."