Bill Bruce from Calgary shares the secrets at NMHP Conference

by Denise LeBeau, Best Friends Animal Society

“Virtually every animal that winds up in a shelter is the result of a failed human relationship,” was the way Bill began during his presentation, “Success In Calgary.”

Poignant and right on the money, Bill Bruce is the Director of Animal and Bylaw Services for the City of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. His enlightened approach to helping animals in his community is a winner and he shared their best practices at this year’s conference. They encourage responsible pet ownership through licensing, public education and enforcement.

From mission statement to action, their goal is:
- Identify the issue
- Engage the stakeholders
- Build a process that works
- Educate people to use it (95% voluntary compliance)
- Back it up (5% enforcement)
- Measure It (how do you know you are improving)

Bill explained that the traditional method of animal control has just not been working in saving lives. So he changed the system to an emphasis on responsible pet ownership and away from animal control.

This is a quick glimpse at the 4 Principles of Responsible Pet Ownership:
- License and provide permanent identification for your pets
- Spay or neuter your pets
- Provide training, care and proper medical attention for your pets
- Don’t allow pets to become a threat or a nuisance

By using education and the media – pet owners in Calgary have a support system that addresses their needs before they become a problem. They have a mandatory licensing program for both cats and dogs which has provided the funds to help even more animals. The program has also lowered the number of impounded animals, increased owner return rates, lowered the euthanasia rates and lowered the number of fines for bylaw infractions!

Animal Courtesy Officers

All of their Animal Control Officers are certified mediators. Their driving force is conflict resolution to help the people that need it most. Animal Services also partners with the Police Dept., so if an animal is picked up and there’s evidence of abuse or neglect the ACO will help prosecute.

While a fine for an unlicensed dog or cat is $250 with a zero tolerance for noncompliance, Calgary’s Animal Control Officers spend most of their days helping animals and their people. They are not on a witch hunt for offenders, but rather help educate folks on where to get subsidized spay/neuter, check in at the local dog parks and reunite owners with their pets that decide to take an unaccompanied stroll! With their state-of-the-art, customized Animal Control mobiles which are outfitted with laptops and Internet service, as soon as they pick up an at large animal they are able to punch his or her information into their computer and find out where the animal belongs. Then they take the animal straight home! This simple system helps keep the numbers of animals at the facility down while minimizing the possibility of spreading diseases or parasites. As Bill put it plainly: “Licensing is your ticket home” and the ACO’s seem to be the chauffeurs!

Click here to watch a quick video on how the licensing program in Calgary works!

Make It Easy

As Bill explained – the whole notion of licensing is to make sure all the owned animals never wind up in the shelter. To this end, they couldn’t have made it easier!

Here are the ways compliance is made as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Renewal notices automatically sent out
- You can phone a 24 hour hotline to license your pet
- Online form from their website
- At the bank
- Directly to an officer
- Night deposit

The fees to license are rather low for a pet that’s spayed or neutered ($31 for an altered canine and $10 for an altered feline) and the revenues from the program pay for itself. If Bill wants to open a new dog park or add another educational program – he can without bureaucratic red tape.

And open dog parks they do – making it easy for folks to get their pets exercised and socialized! That was one of the most intriguing parts of his presentation: the need for proper training and socialization that goes into a well behaved dog and the role dog parks play to help achieve that goal. He explained that off leash areas will crop up anyway, and if you have a regulated dog park with an off leash area you can make sure that all the pets are licensed, complying with the rules of the park and inspire people to do their job. Like cleaning up after their dog, which is again a very proactive way to make the community a better place for all its members.

Getting Results

Calgary also has rigorous programs targeting kids of all ages. With the program’s vision to promote responsible pet ownership and foster safe and responsible communities in Calgary, they go into the schools to teach young people proper pet ownership and handling.

Click here to read more about the public education programs offered in Calgary!

Calgary has also seen a 20% reduction in dog bites in just a year. This is without Breed Specific Legislation and without pet limits! Their animal control facility is cutting edge with a friendly staff with an eye on customer service. If a dog is to be euthanized due to behavior it is a court decision. Even with these successful programs in place and a proven track record to back them up, Calgary is looking to improve in the future. They want a free spay/neuter clinic to be available to their less fortunate families (this clinic has already broke ground and should be up by next year), they want to increase the number of dog and cat licenses and they are researching the feasibility of having pets get a lifetime license with a microchip.

This is one municipality that has gotten it right for the people, the pets and the officials! With drive, enthusiasm, making partnerships and alliances you too can make a difference in your community.

Click here to check out the highlights from the 2008 No More Homeless Pets Conference!

photo by Clay Myers, Best Friends photographer