Did you know that it’s illegal to tie up your dog while you grab a coffee?
Green Coun. Adriane Carr wants to change that.
The newly elected councillor is introducing a motion Tuesday that requests city staff to report to council options to change a bylaw against tying up dogs unattended in public.
“This particular section is overkill and it does penalize people who really do act responsibly and whose pets don’t pose any threats to the public,” Carr said.
Anyone busted for disobeying the section of the city’s animal control bylaw can be slapped with a $ 250 fine.
“When people heard about the fine of $ 250, they were shocked,” she said, adding it’s long been a bylaw on the books but not everyone knows about it and it’s rarely enforced.
Carr said that most, if not all, the pet owners she’s talked to this past week are not aware that such a bylaw exists.
“I suspect many businesses don’t know it too because there are many businesses in downtown Vancouver that are very dog friendly,” she said.
“The vast majority of dogs are well-behaved and their owners are responsible,” Carr added.
“I just don’t want those people to lose the liberty of taking their dog on a walk, temporarily leaving it to drop into a convenient store or coffee shop for a brief period of time.”
She also suggested better education, including parents teaching common sense instructions to children to not approach dogs.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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