Councillor calls for limits on cats and dogs

A Thunder Bay city councillor thinks it's time to look at limiting the number of dogs and cats residents can keep in their homes and is asking for a study of what other communities do.

Councillor Aldo Ruberto said his proposal is driven in part by a situation in a local apartment building, where one tenant keeps nine animals despite ongoing complaints from neighbours.

"You know if there's a stench or a smell, they have to clean it up and they do that, at that period," he said.

"But then a couple of weeks later, the same thing happens. So it's a very frustrating situation, obviously, for our enforcement people and for the neighbours."

Ruberto said most people are responsible pet owners, but some have issues and cannot take proper care of their animals.

It's time to put some teeth into a bylaw, he added.

"We've run into numerous situations in the last couple of years [and it] seems to be escalating. People are gathering animals and keeping them, and some people quite frankly cannot take care of those animals."

Ruberto wants council to pass a resolution asking administration to research bylaws in place in other communities that cap the number of domestic animals, specifically dogs and cats, per household.

Administration would then report back with recommendations that "would produce a bylaw that would help our officers remove cats and dogs, animals, where people are hoarding," Ruberto said.