New Mississauga dog law in effect Monday

TheStar.com
Nov. 30, 2014
Tara Deschamps

Mississauga dog walker Kalina Hazlewood say she would never leave her one-year-old potcake Sammy out in the cold. The 32-year-old treats Sammy like a child dressing him in booties, coating his lips with ChapStick and never keeping him outside for too long in winter.

But not everyone is so cautious about the cold when it comes to their beloved pups. That’s why a new law, looking to minimize the neglect of dogs, is coming into effect in Mississauga on Monday.

The law bans dog owners from leaving any animal without adequate shelter — defined as a double-walled and insulated doghouse that is large enough for the pet to stand up, turn around, lie down and stretch its limbs in — outside during extreme weather. It also says that dogs may only be tethered for a maximum of four hours in a 24-hour period. Any dog left tethered must be in sight of others and able to access food, water, shelter and shade.

When taking your dog on the road, the law says it must remain in the passenger compartment of the vehicle and not be left unattended in the car if weather conditions are unsuitable.

The new rules are a result of last year’s bitter cold winter, which included an ice storm crippling the city’s infrastructure and keeping many indoors, says Shane McNeil, a dog owner and member of the Society Advocating for Dogs.

McNeil, who rallied for more regulations surrounding animal welfare as a member of the Mississauga Animal Standards committee, says there is still more work to be done to protect dogs from the blistering cold and frigid winds that shake the city each year.

“What goes into effect (Monday) does not go far enough to protect an outdoor dog,” he told the Star on Sunday. “I really wish the city had listened and gone further.”

The rules are “rubber-stamping dog cruelty” by allowing dogs to be left in a caged pen for up to 20 hours every day, McNeil says.

He wants the city to mirror U.S. states that impose temperature guidelines keeping dogs from being left outdoors and unattended when a certain temperature or a natural disaster hits.

“Many outdoor dog owners already do the responsible thing and have a spot for the animal when they’re talking about extreme weather, but there are a handful of people who will never take their dogs inside,” he says. “You try sleeping in a double-panelled doghouse in -42 temperatures and you tell me how you made it through the night.”

McNeil is not the only one with qualms about the law.

Hazlewood wonders how well it can be enforced.

“If your neighbour has a dog tied up outside, how will anyone know?” she says. “If no one speaks up around that person, I don’t know how that will be enforced. It’s not like (the city) will send storm troopers in.”

Lily Chan, Mississauga Humane Society president, says the incoming law will be enforced on a complaint basis. This means animal services will visit the home of any dog owner who is the topic of a complaint to explain the law; if the situation persists, animal services will require the complainant to keep a log with relevant details and dates and surrounding the issue.

If an animal services officer deems the logged animal treatment as inappropriate, they may intervene and have a judge lay formal charges.

The pet law follows a string of “nanny-state” ideas proposed by outgoing mayor — and German shepherd owner — Hazel McCallion, who pushed for the city to ticket idling cars sitting in drive-thrus and implement restrictions around clotheslines.