Calgary – A Responsible Pet Ownership Community

Vision: To be recognized as world leaders in animal control, bylaw development, and compliance.

Mission: To encourage a safe, healthy, and vibrant community for people and pets through the development, education, and enforcement of bylaws that reflect community values.

Mandate: Focus on voluntary compliance with Calgary’s bylaws through education and programs that support citizens and the community.

Manage an animal shelter and provide animal control services.

Ensure compliance with the community’s bylaws.

~ City of Calgary – Animal & Bylaw Services

Why are Calgary’s animal welfare programs so successful?

“Collaboration.”

“Collaboration.”

“I can sum it up in one word – collaboration.”

These were the unanimous and uncoordinated responses from three of the top rescue organizations in the city. Bill Bruce, Director of Animal & Bylaw Services for the City of Calgary; Desiree Arsenault, Manager of Communications for the Humane Society of Calgary; and Debbie Nelson, Executive Director of MEOW, all enthusiastically agree that the success is based on various animal rescue organizations working together for the betterment of the city’s animals.

“Ten years ago, we brought everyone to the table,” explains Bill Bruce. ‘Everyone’ included veterinarians, rescue organizations, trainers, dog breeders, cat fanciers, and behaviorists. “We stopped the fighting between the organizations.”

The outdated animal services model that Calgary, and most cities, were using at the time was unsustainable.

“We needed to develop a responsible pet ownership model and asked ourselves, ‘How can we put ourselves out of a job?’” laughs Bruce.

The City of Calgary Animal Services Responsible Ownership Model Works on Four Basic Principles:

1. Pet licenses are a ‘ticket home’ for lost pets.
2. Spay/neuter family pets.
3. Provide socialization, a good diet, and ample exercise.
4. Don’t let your pet become a nuisance – address problems before they escalate.

To support the community under the umbrella of these four principles, the city developed groundbreaking programs that removed barriers and helped establish strong communication and respect for bylaw officers.

In many cities, dog licensing is viewed not as a way of returning pets to their homes but as a method of keeping track of potentially dangerous dogs. An animal control officer in Victoria, BC, was quoted by a local reporter, saying that he wanted to see all dogs licensed so that he “would know where all the pit bulls are in the city”—not to reunite lost pets with their families.

In contrast, Calgary calls their dog and cat licensing program a pet’s “ticket home.” Since the pet cat licensing program began in 2007, euthanasia has decreased by nearly 20%, and many lost animals are reunited with their families without ever stepping foot in the shelter. Instead, they are driven straight home and returned to their owners.

Although there is an impound fee, tickets are rarely issued.

“Instead, we ask how the pet got out and what we can do to help,” explains Bruce. This is a more cost-effective model for both the city and the owner, and it also reduces the chances of any negative interactions between the community and bylaw officers.

Spay and neuter programs are common in most cities, and Calgary is no different. All animals are spayed or neutered before leaving the shelter, and the number of animal intakes is dramatically lowered by providing assistance to low-income families and underserved neighborhoods.

Principles three and four of the new responsible ownership model were based on the observation that most animals turned over to shelters were socialized. These were not unwanted or feral animals—someone had taken the time to train and work with the pet. This wasn’t an overpopulation issue but a failure in the human-animal relationship. Along with the spay/neuter program, which actively lowers the number of animals in the city, it was vital to change how animals were valued and to support the community in keeping the animals they already had.

Many Ideas Sprang from This Change in Approach:

• School and public education programs developed and delivered by board-certified teachers as part of the curriculum.
• Vaccinating all animals as they enter the shelter (unless proof is provided that it is unnecessary).
• Increasing the adoptability of animals by improving their health, retraining them as needed, and rehabilitating them in some cases.
• Providing a six-month free license for all adopted animals.
• Teaching and assisting owners in recognizing early indicators of problems in their pets and helping to assess and rehabilitate the animal before it becomes an issue.

The last point is the most important—and the most difficult—part of the program. Many owners don’t recognize the early indicators of bad behavior until it escalates into a dangerous or frustrating situation that they can no longer handle. However, many of these behaviors, once recognized, can be trained out of the pet, eliminating the need to rehome, or in severe cases, euthanize an otherwise happy and healthy animal.

Problem behavior doesn’t always refer to dangerous or aggressive actions either. A barking dog can quickly lead to frustrated neighbors, nuisance orders, and eventually giving the pet up for adoption. Instead, animal services works with the owner to correct the bad behavior and keep the pet where it belongs—at home with the family.

Calgary is also unique in that they have not jumped on the Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) bandwagon like many large cities. There are also no limits on how many animals a person can own. In both cases, a responsible owner is simply that—a responsible owner.

BSL tries to blame a breed for dangerous or aggressive behavior when, in fact, any breed can be dangerous. Pit bulls, once known as the “nanny dog” for their exceptional interactions with children, are often demonized as dangerous. In reality, if a responsible owner raised the dog, there would be no problem. Any breed of dog, if mistreated or mis-trained, can be dangerous—just ask the mailperson who was attacked and severely injured by a pack of Chihuahuas in eastern Canada.

Limiting the number of animals in a household is also unnecessary if the owner is responsible and monitors their pets’ behavior. If an owner is capable of keeping three dogs calm, well-behaved, healthy, and happy, who is to say they can’t do the same for four? However, should someone who cannot control their one dog be allowed to adopt two just because they haven’t reached their limit? Animal limits do not ensure a peaceful neighborhood; responsible ownership is what guarantees a safe, quiet, and happy community for everyone.

The Cost of Irresponsible Pet Ownership

The Calgary animal services model is a success, and one that many other communities strive to duplicate. However, there is still an exorbitant cost in providing animal rescue to a city of 1,079,310 people (2010).

There are dozens of animal rescue organizations in Calgary that collaborate to build a responsible pet ownership community. We spoke with three of them and asked them to provide accurate, measurable numbers to help demonstrate the uphill battle cities face.

Cost to run each shelter per year:

There is obviously far more involved in building a responsible pet ownership community, and the success depends on the people involved. From progressive directors who realize that a program can always be improved to the indispensable volunteers and foster families who take up the “slack” through the sheer goodness of their hearts, Calgary’s animals waiting to be rehomed are in good hands.

“Judge a society by how it treats its animals.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

A big thanks goes out to Bill Bruce, Director of Animal & Bylaw Services for the City of Calgary, Desiree Arsenault, Manager of Communications for the Humane Society of Calgary, Debbie Nelson, Executive Director of MEOW, and ARF for assisting with this article.

Calgary Humane Society

Calgary Animal Services

Meow Foundation

ARF