All Things Animals

“As an animal supporter, I consider the needs of all those who are living in our City, including our furry, feathered, finned or scaled friends. I’m committed to continuing to advocate for adequate funding for Animal Care and Control operations, as well as ensuring the safety of Edmontonians, pets, and wildlife.” - Erin 

Animal Care & Control Centre:

• Did You Know that the City’s Animal Care & Control Centre…

• Houses more than 6,000 lost pets found in Edmonton each year

• Has a 2,120 square metre (22,800 square feet) building that holds up to 84 cats and 47 dogs comfortably according to capacity for care

• Has a specially designed area for small pets

• Is a one-stop-shop for pet licensing, stray animal care and enforcement services

• Service & Budget: I heard from residents the need for more proactive animal care and bylaw enforcement. During the budget deliberations for 2023-2026, I advocated for funding for department support, including staff and peace officers. My motion for funding passed and we are seeing these positions and supports in action. Thank you to all city workers doing the important work of animal care and control in our city! 

Pet Licensing:

• “A pet license is a unique ID that tells us your pet belongs to you. It allows reunification more quickly if your pet ever gets lost or displaced in an emergency. However, pet licensing fees go towards supporting so much more than that - they benefit the animal community as a whole.” - City website on pet licensing

• Where do pet license fees go? 

• Helping to reunite lost animals with their owners

• Providing food/shelter/medical care for approx. 6000 strays each year

• Supporting local rescues and shelters

• Providing emergency first aid veterinary care

• Funding towards low-income spay/neuter programs

• Supporting pet owner education

• Enforcement operations of animal protection

• I encourage pet owners to renew or purchase their pet licenses. Discounts are available for seniors, those on income assistance, and for owners who have spayed/neutered their pets.  

• FYI - Pet Licensing falls under the Animal Control & Licensing. The next phase of engagement on the renewal of the bylaw is being planned for later this spring. Stay Tuned! And check out my blog here. 

Public Spaces Bylaw:

• The Public Spaces Bylaw (blog): Did you know that the Public Spaces Bylaw includes animals in public spaces (including feeding animals, leash and off leash spaces, etc)? This revised bylaw will be coming back to Council in fall 2024 for review.

Off-Leash Areas & Dog Parks: 

• Orval Allen (Dunluce) Off-Leash Dog Park: I’m happy to share that after hearing from community and advocating for upgrades, this unfenced off-leash dog park has been confirmed for fencing upgrades!

• Grand Trunk (Lauderdale) Off-Leash Dog Park: Work continues on the planning for EPCOR’s Flood Mitigation/Dry Pond project at the Lauderdale Dog Park. A start date for construction has not yet been confirmed but is anticipated to start this year. I’m following this project closely and will continue to keep you updated once I have more info!

• Inglewood Dog Park: We worked and were successful at getting this dog park fully fenced and double-gated!

• Future Dog Park in Griesbach: Good news! Canada Lands has committed to including a dog park in the buildout of northeast Griesbach. More info on this project and timelines can be found here. 

• Info & Locations: Checkout the map on the City’s website for more info and Off-Leash Dog Park locations, including sites in Wellington, Dovercourt, and Prince Charles

• Update: Last year the City did a trial on pop-up dog parks. While this trial has concluded and due to funding constraints will not be initiated in 2024, the Community League Temporary Dog Park Program is still available for interested leagues. 

Urban Wildlife: 

• Edmonton is home to a variety of urban wildlife, from skunks, gophers and squirrels to magpies, geese and crows!

• The City website has a number of handy tip sheets on dealing with both small and large animals.

• Side note - did you know that muskrats are native to this area so let’s not confuse them with rats!

• Since 1989, the City has partnered with and provided funding to WILDNorth. WILDNorth is the only organization in the Capital Region that is legally permitted to rescue, and provide care and rehabilitation, to most injured and orphaned wildlife. If you’ve come across a wild animal that you think might be injured, please contact WILDNorth at 780-914-4118.

• Large animals such as moose, deer, urban coyotes, and even the occasional bear, cougar and wild boar in the city are the responsibility of Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officers. Please contact their office for large animal concerns/inquiries. 

• The North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society has a great e-newsletter that often features information on wildlife in the city.  

Coyotes: 

• The Good: Urban coyotes play a role in the city as scavengers that help manage rodent and small mammal populations.

• The Not-so-Good: They can sometimes be a nuisance or danger. 

• There are many steps that residents can take to deter coyote activity in their neighbourhoods, such as removing garbage in yards, ensuring that waste bins are secure and food scraps aren’t left out, managing unkempt yards with materials that provide cover for rodents, as well as open yards with broken fences. 

• More information on how reduce coyote interactions can be found on the City's website

• The City has worked with partners to adopt an Enhanced Coyote Response

• 311 is the best place to report any coyote encounters so that the appropriate teams can be sent out to investigate and monitor any issues.

Urban Hens Program:

• Interested in learning about how to keep backyard hens in the City? Check it out here. There are even free courses!

Urban Beekeeping:

• To learn about bees, how to deal with a swarm, or if you’re interested in becoming a beekeeper - check out the info here. 

Mosquitos:

• It’s fair to say that we have a mutual disdain for pesky mosquitoes! This week the City’s ground crews started spraying in areas of standing water and ditches in and around the city. 

• The Mosquito Control Program said that so far the mosquito populations are quite low due to dry conditions. The City continues to take proactive measures through the Ground Control Program. More info on the City’s website here. 

• Check out the YouTube video here on Edmonton’s Mosquito Control Program

Edmonton Humane Society: 

• We’re fortunate to have this great organization located here in Ward Anirniq!

• Did you know that the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) offers a program to aid in reducing our community’s homeless pet population by assisting people who do not have the financial ability to spay or neuter their animals? 

• The PALS (Prevent Another Litter Subsidy) program allows people with low income to apply to have their dog(s) and/or cat(s) spayed and neutered, and pay only the administration fee. More info can be found on EHS’s website.

Edmonton Valley Zoo:

• The Edmonton Valley Zoo is home to more than 250 animals and is leading conservation research work on many species

• For example, the Edmonton Valley Zoo is helping to prevent the local extinction of the Rocky Mountain population of the Northern Leopard Frog through a special breeding program

• The zoo has also taken up the cause to protect and conserve Red Pandas in their native habitat. They are an important part of the Species Survival Plan