Provincial laws need to change to help dog problems like in Allan: SUMA

The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) has been advocating for better, more effective bylaw enforcement and adjudication in towns like Allan, but the “wheels of justice” so to speak, are turning slowly.

Jean-Marc Nadeau, SUMA CEO, said in an interview with 650 CKOM that the organization has been hoping for change since 2021 when the issue was first brought up to the provincial government.

“The provincial court in Saskatchewan being extremely busy, places a less than important label, if you will, on bylaw enforcement or bylaw issues, and so they remain unheard by any sort of adjudicator,” he said.

The ability to enforce animal control bylaws has become front and centre in the Town of Allan, about 65 km southeast of Saskatoon.

That’s where many people, including town mayor Bonnie Lewis, say a pack of nearly half a dozen dogs are able to frequently and regularly get out of their home and surrounding yard, and roam the town, attacking people.

Lewis said the town can’t afford to hire a full time bylaw enforcement officer, and an animal control officer visits the town once per month. If the dogs in question aren’t at large when the visit occurs, there’s nothing the officer can do.

RCMP say they’ve received six reports of the same pack of dogs attacking people since April. According to police, no one has been bitten by the animals up to this point, and dog owner Kelly Hanson has not been charged with any crime. However, he has received bylaw tickets.

Nadeau said the town of Allan approached SUMA for help between one year and 18-months ago.

He described a new bylaw model in the town of Kindersley, where municipalities come together to form a partnership and bring all of their bylaw infractions being disputed.

“And they host bylaw court in one of the regional courtrooms. So, this model has been successful, but it’s only in Kindersely.

“We are working with the province to see if this model could be implemented in different hubs around the province,” he said.

Nadeau said there seems to be “some interest” in pursuing that, and a meeting between SUMA and the province’s attorney general and justice ministers occurred last week.

Towns like Allan can also take someone to court, but Lewis said it’s an expensive alternative they don’t have the money to pursue.

While the wait on whether the Kindersley model continues, Nadeau said the town doesn’t have much of an alternative.

“Unfortunately not. I know that they have contacted the RCMP and there’s unfortunately not much the RCMP can do either,” he said.

Other municipalities also have bylaw enforcement issues, but Allan is the only town Nadeau is aware of that has an issue with the same pack of dogs.

“We are hoping that the province will implement something sooner, rather than later,” he said.

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