Responsible pet ownership is more than a matter of keeping animals at home.

Pet ownership is welcomed in the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River, the M.D.’s website says.

However, it reminds residents that keeping an animal also comes with responsibilities to neighbours, other animals and the wider community.

The M.D. recently posted a reminder on Facebook that residents can get free pet tags by calling 780-849-4888. The tags help reunite animals with their owners if they wander away.

The reminder comes as the municipality continues to enforce its Domestic Animal Control Bylaw, which sets out requirements for keeping pets and livestock in the MD.

Under the current Animal Control Bylaw 2025-04, cats and dogs six months of age or older must be licensed. The M.D. provides the licences free of charge, and owners are required to obtain a licence within 14 days of moving to the municipality or becoming the owner of an unlicensed cat or dog.

The metal licence tag is registered to the individual animal and must be attached to its collar, harness or choke chain whenever the animal is off its owner’s property.

The bylaw also prohibits animals from being at large or otherwise outside of their owner’s control.
In general, a maximum of three dogs and six cats can be kept on a lot, although different rules apply in agricultural districts.

Owners are also responsible for ensuring their animals do not become a public nuisance.
The bylaw prohibits animals from running at, biting, attacking, threatening, harassing or chasing people or other animals.

It also prohibits excessive barking and other excessive noise, damage to property, scattering garbage and chasing or harassing wildlife.

For residents who encounter a wandering animal, the M.D.’s message also carries an important reminder: domestic animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and horses are considered property.

They should not be trapped, harmed or removed from their home area.

The municipality does, however, offer a cat-trapping service when weather conditions allow.

The emphasis on responsible ownership reflects how common pets are in Canadian households.
A Government of Alberta report citing recent research found that about 61 per cent of Canadians own a pet, including 35 per cent who own dogs and 32 per cent who own cats. Households with children under 18 were also significantly more likely to own pets.

Responsible ownership is also governed by provincial animal-welfare requirements.

Alberta’s Animal Protection Act prohibits causing an animal to be in distress or allowing an animal to remain in distress, and establishes basic duties of care for owners and caregivers.

Those responsibilities are particularly important in northern Alberta, where extreme temperatures can pose risks to animals.

Alberta’s guidance for pet preparedness recommends having supplies such as food, water, medications, identification, leashes and appropriate carriers available in case owners and animals become separated during an emergency.

The M.D. employs two full-time peace officers whose duties include investigating bylaw complaints, working with residents to resolve neighbourhood issues and helping reunite lost dogs and cats with their owners.

The municipality’s animal-control rules are ultimately intended to balance pet ownership with the rights and safety of other residents.

For M.D. residents, that means keeping animals under control, ensuring dogs are leashed when required, keeping identification tags on pets and making sure animals do not become a nuisance or pose a danger to people, wildlife or other animals.

Residents can report concerns about animals through the MD’s online reporting system, where an enforcement officer can investigate the matter.

The Town of Slave Lake has a similar animal-control system. Its peace officers act as animal-control officers and can issue summonses for violations of the town’s animal-control bylaw. Animals seized by officers are housed at the town dog pound, with unclaimed animals typically transferred to Slave Lake Animal Rescue for adoption after three days.

William Hetherington
Lakeside Leader