Greater Sudbury's revised animal care bylaw still needs tweaking, advocates say

The City of Greater Sudbury is lifting restrictions on the number of cats and dogs that people can own so long as the pets are spayed or neutered.

While people in the animal community applaud the change, some want the city to further tighten the rules for responsible ownership.

"I'd like to think that every one deserves to have a pet," veterinarian Nicole Baran of the Sudbury Regional Cat Hospital said.

"But a pet is a responsibility and it's a privilege to own a pet, not a right."

Baran said she would like to see animals get more preventative health care, and for the city to make identification mandatory.

Should pets have ID?

Mary Anne Stonehouse, the founder of the private animal rescue group SAINTS and Whiskers adoption centre, agrees.

Specifically, she said she wants to see microchips mandatory for cats and ID tags for dogs.

"My hope would be that there would be so few cats out there [stray cats and dogs] that there may not be a need for us," she said.

Microchip implants can be scanned with a radio device to find an owner's information.

Stonehouse said tags do not work well for cats because their collars can get stuck on fences and trees outside.

A spokesperson for the city said staff will likely be reviewing its policy for animal identification.

Cat overpopulation still an issue

Others are calling for the city to open a low cost, high volume spay neuter clinic to help control an overpopulation of cats.

"You still have an ongoing problem with people dumping their pets," Patricia Mensour, a volunteer with the adoption service Small Things CATS, said.

"Usually it's cats because they are seen as a more disposable pet, I think."

Mensour also said she wants to see more public education about what it means to be a reliable pet owner.

Further details about the city's revised animal care bylaw are expected to be released over the next few weeks.