PetMania!

For the last 30 years, the animal welfare community has been educating and encouraging owners to voluntarily spay/neuter their pets.

Although there are many responsible owners, there are also others who are unable to or unwilling to sterilize their pets.

By enacting the mandatory spay/neuter bylaw, the Township of Esquimalt provides another tool to the animal welfare community in solving the growing cat population problem.

Bylaw 2723 is not a punitive bylaw; instead it is designed to encourage compliance. Why else would the bylaw provide the pet owner 30 days to obtain a refund upon the presentation of a certificate from a veterinarian that the cat has been sterilized?

Also, to encourage immediate compliance with the bylaw, the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders has offered to cover the spaying/neutering costs of cats for all residents of Esquimalt, regardless of their financial situation, during the month following the enactment of the bylaw.

After this one month period, individuals experiencing financial difficulties may approach any of the animal welfare organizations for assistance in covering some or all of the spaying/neutering cost of their pet.

 Given cats are producing four to six kittens per litter and litters are being born throughout the year, if we don’t take action now, we will be overrun by cats like students are being outnumbered by rabbits at the University of Victoria.