The days of friendly neighborhood cats roaming free in residential areas may soon be over.
That’s because at Wednesday’s community development meeting, councilors voted in favor of a bylaw that would ban cat owners from letting their pets roam free outside their own property.
The motion was tabled by Ward 17 Don Valley North Coun. Shelley Carroll, who says it’s safer to keep cats indoors or on a leash if they’re outdoors.
Read more: Toronto updates bylaw to improve city’s interaction with wildlife
Scott Tinney, an animal justice attorney, is one of many advocates supporting the proposal.
“Working in animal law, I hear about terrible things happening to animals,” he says.
Story continues below the ad
“We just believe it’s in the best interest of the cats to keep them indoors.” They live longer indoors, they’re safer from predation by coyotes, they’re safer from being hit by cars.”
Natalie Karvonen, wildlife biologist and executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Center agrees, but for a number of other reasons.
“Cats have a devastating impact on wildlife populations,” she told Global News.
2:04 Selwyn Township Considers Cat Licensing Bylaw Selwyn Township Considers Cat Licensing Bylaw – April 25, 2019
“There was an Environment Canada Study done where they looked at songbird mortality across the country and the study concluded that the number one cause of songbird death in Canada is free-roaming cats.”
Trending stories
-
Traveler uses AirTag to track lost luggage for 5 days after flight from Toronto
-
Raised $350K for Burger King employee who received paltry gift for 27 years of service
But Toronto cat owner Linda Harnarin has been letting her two furry friends roam free for decades, and she disagrees with the proposed bylaw.
Story continues below the ad
“I like cats to go outside. I’m happy they can go outside because they suffer from stress and it’s important for them to run around, breathe fresh air and exercise,” she said.
“It’s like putting a leash on a baby. I couldn’t do it.”
City officials also expressed concern about how the bylaw would be enforced.
“I shouldn’t be flippant about this, and I understand that (the proposal) just fell through the cracks,” Mayor John Tory said.
“I will not support this in the council. I just don’t believe in passing laws that we think are impossible to enforce.
There are also concerns that the bylaw could potentially put a strain on animal shelters across the city.
“I think it would put a strain on any animal welfare agency or organization,” said Phil Nichols, chief operating officer of the Humane Society of Toronto.
“The other thing you have to keep in mind with enforcement is to make sure you’re not punishing people who are already struggling and dealing with financial struggles and other barriers, because mistakes happen.”
About 90 municipalities across the country and a handful in the Greater Toronto Area have passed similar bylaws, including Newmarket, Markham and Hamilton.
Story continues below the ad
A proposal to ban outdoor cats in Toronto is expected to be considered by council later this month.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Add Comment