Richmond Hill pet educator contract may be extended
More dog tags bring more revenue, say supporters

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 19, 2015
Kim Zarzour

Richmond Hill will continue to have animal services educator — but on a one-year contract rather than full-time position — if a committee vote by councillors this week is given final approval at full council in March.

The original proposal was to hire a full-time pet educator at a cost of $90,000, which would cover a salary of $67,000 plus additional expenses, including benefits, mileage and promotional supplies.

But councillors voted unanimously at the budget committee meeting Tuesday to extend the current contract for another year, instead.

It means the cost — as yet undetermined — won’t have an impact on the tax rate and will continue to come out of interest on a reserve fund.

A staff report said the animal services educator is essential to achieve the desired outcomes expressed by residents, including improving the town’s pet licensing program, educating on responsible pet ownership, dog bite prevention and pet first aid.

The educator would also likely work on concerns related to animal sales in pet stores and a possible pet store licensing program — a controversial issue that is being examined by staff for a report back to council.

Ana Bassios, commissioner of planning and regulatory services, told councillors that the animal services educator, part of a two-year pilot project, has been very well received in the community.

The educator position was based on a successful program in Calgary. In Richmond Hill, it has been able to increase revenue in dog licensing from $12,000 to $37,000.

Regional Councillor Vito Spatafora said the Calgary model has had higher compliance with pet licence purchases as a result of strong enforcement and this revenue helps pay for the program. Richmond Hill’s program may not be as successful “until we put some teeth into it.

“There has to be an incentive for people to want to license their pet... What happens in Calgary, they’ve got a full patrol of vehicles that go out and patrol the streets ... and they have a major shelter with indoor and outdoor facilities.”

The decision to continue the pet educator as a contract position could be an interim step in the town’s plan to establish responsible pet ownership, said Regional Councillor Brenda Hogg.

“This has real payback, not just in licensing revenue but in the connection to the community,” she said, noting an increasing number of residents own dogs in Richmond Hill.

“When you’re out door-knocking at election time, there’s an awful lot of barking going on,” she said. “This is a very important part of our family in our community.”

Council has encountered problems in the past when residents aren’t educated on pet ownership, she said.

“We’ve had people come forward and say ‘we need a seven-foot fence because we got this dog that can hop a six-foot’ and I’m sorry, but we’re a built-up urban area and I hate to do this to you but that family member can not be accommodated... People need to know this up front and I think we owe it to our community that we at least have that public education component.”

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of extending the animal services educator contract for a year.

 Ward 1 Councillor Greg Beros and Ward 2 Councillor Tom Muench were not present for the vote.