Province looks at stronger animal protection laws

The provincial government is working on a planto strengthen animal protection laws and plans to start by consulting with animal welfare groups and the public.

• New Brunswick prepares for ban on 24/7 dog tethering
• 79 dog tethering complaints filed since new rules took effect
• Dog tethering rules take a bite out of SPCA budget

Brian Kenny, minister of environment and local government, said his department is looking at Quebecand other jurisdictions across the country, as well as working closely with the SPCA and other animal welfare groups.

He said the goal is to develop a practice ofcare code for dogs"thatwill serve as a resource" for SPCA and animal protection officers, to strengthen what is already in place.

"With the regulatory changes that came in over a year ago with the banning of 24-hour tethering, it seems to have raised a lot of awareness, so I think we want to continue to promote that and at the same time to be able to move forward," he said.

New Brunswick became the first province to ban the tethering of dogs 24 hours a day on Dec. 1, 2014.

The regulatory changes were put in placejust months after public outrage over a Kent County dog being tethered to its snowed-in doghouse while its owner was away.

The rules says dogs cannot be tied up outsidebetween 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for short relief breaks.

First-time offenders face fines of $140 and if the case ends up in court, a judge can impose a further fine up to $640.

The New BrunswickSPCAhasdrafted a code that sets out a standard of care for dogsand the public is invited to provide feedback by visiting itswebsite.

Hilary Howes, executive director of the NB SPCA, saiddogs are not the issue. He saidattention needs to be paid to cats, as well. Howes says more people need to spay or neuter their cats because there are too many felines being released into the wild or "at farmers' gates."

"It's exhausting all the resources that are out there," he said.

Howes said many animal shelters in the province have waiting lists of people who want to give their animals away, "but the shelters can't adopt them out quick enough to deal with the amount of flow."

Kenny said the department will meet spend the next year meeting withstakeholders and developinga strategy for implementing changes for the protection of all animals.