Bylaw FAQ

Listed are a few of the most frequently asked questions about specific Bylaws.

What is Graffiti?

Graffiti is defined as:

• The application of any substance, including paint, ink, stain, or whitewash to any surface;
• The affixing of any substance, including paper, fabric or plastic by any form of adhesion which does not remove cleanly, when pulled away from the applied surface;
• The marking, scratching, etching or other alteration or disfigurement of any surface.

The markings may appear on all kinds of surfaces including: walls, fences, mail boxes, newspaper vending machines, signs, utility boxes, roads, sidewalks and windows.

Is it true you have cats at the Animal Services Centre?

Yes it is true. As of 2000 Community Enforcement (Bylaw Services)houses cats impounded under the Animal Control Bylaw 23-00. These are cats that have been running at large. We do not handle lost, abandoned or injured cats.

My neighbor’s cat keeps digging in my garden. Is there anything I can do to stop it?
Yes, there is. If you know where the cat lives, we suggest bringing the disturbing behavior to the owner's attention. If no action is taken, then you can call Bylaw Services at (403) 823-7590 and register a complaint under the Animal Control Bylaw.

What should I do if my dog gets lost?

• Look around your neighborhood immediately
• Phone us at Bylaw Services at (403) 823 -7590 - if calling from outside Calgary, and provide us with your dog's description, tattoo number and licensee number
• Phone the RCM Police office after hours (403) 823-7590
• Only you can identify your dog if it has lost its collar and tag unless your dog has a microchip or a visible tattoo
• Check the veterinary clinics in your neighborhood
• Place notices, preferably with a picture of your dog at, the Hanna Humane Society, local Drumheller stores and veterinary clinics
• Talk to your town staff, your neighbors and especially the children who play in your neighborhood, asking if they've seen your dog
• Ask local radio and cable television stations to mention your lost dog
• Check the lost and found classified advertisements in local newspapers
• Place your own advertisements in the lost and found sections of local newspapers

What happens to the dogs when they get picked up by an Animal Control Officer?

Community Enforcement (Bylaw)Officers impound dogs found running at large. Officers will attempt to take the dog directly home if it is wearing identification. The officer is unable to take the dog home if it is not currently licensed, if the owner information on our system is not up-to-date, if no one is home at the time, or if there is no one over the age of 18 at home to accept the dog.

Once a dogs is brought back to the detachment it is checked for tattoos, microchips, health concerns and placed in the kennels by an Animal Health Specialist. If the dog has identification on it, and the name and address of the owner is known, it is held for 4 days while every effort is made to contact the owner.

If there is no identification on the dog and the name and address of the owner is not known, the dog is held for 4 days, following which it is put up for adoption (unless it is deemed unadoptable).

It is a myth that most of the dogs that come into Community Enforcement (Bylaw Services)are put down immediately.

I found a dog with a license tag, why can't you just give me the name and address of the owner so I can take the dog home myself?

The owner's name and address is confidential information. We will come and pick up the dog and try to take it home right away. If we are unable to return the dog, we will house it in our facility until the owner can be reached. Circumstances may warrant further investigation, which may result in a written warning or violation ticket being issued to the owner or the person in care and control of the dog. We wish to deal personally with owners to help educate them about their responsibilities as a dog owner.

Whether dogs are wearing identification or not, they have a much better chance of making it back to their owners if Community Enforcement (Bylaw Services) picks them up and finds the owner.

Does the Town of Drumheller pay for spay/ neuter surgery? I can't afford to have my dog/ cat spayed or neutered. What can I do?
No, the Town of Drumheller does not pay for spay/ neuter surgery.

How do we deal with dangerous dogs?

Unless provided separately by bylaw, provisions within each municipal act deal with dangerous dogs. If a complaint is made that a dog in a municipality is dangerous, a judge shall, on hearing the complaint, declare the dog to be dangerous where it is proved that:

• the dog, without provocation, in a vicious or menacing manner, chased or approached a person or domestic animal in an apparent attitude of attack;
• the dog has a known tendency or disposition to attack without provocation, to cause injury or to otherwise threaten the safety of persons or domestic animals;
• the dog has, without provocation, bitten, inflicted injury, assaulted or otherwise attacked a person or domestic animal;
• the dog is owned, primarily or in part, for the purpose of dog fighting or is trained for dog fighting.

No dog shall be declared dangerous where an action described above occurred while the dog was:

• acting in the performance of police work; or
• working as a guard dog on commercial property.

Where a judge declares a dog to be dangerous, the judge shall make an order that:

• the owner shall keep the dog in an enclosure;
• if the owner removes the dog from the enclosure, the owner shall muzzle and leash it and keep it under his or her direct control and supervision;
• the owner shall obtain and keep in effect liability insurance in the prescribed amount to cover damage or injury caused by the dog;
• the owner shall display a sign on his or her property warning of the presence of the dog;
• the owner shall comply with the regulations and the Animal Disease and Protection Act (Canada);
• where a bylaw designating a person as judge for this purpose is in effect in the municipality, the owner shall report the sale or other disposition of the dog to this person;
• where the dog is moved to a different municipality, the owner shall notify the administrator or clerk of that municipality.

Who can I contact for further information?

Please feel free to contact Community Enforcement (Bylaw Services) at (403) 823-7590 or (403) 823-6300.