Efforts to get some non-profit pet rescue operations exempt from the Chatham-Kent pet bylaw will likely be futile.
A petition is circulating asking the municipality to allow their services and exempt them from the current animal limits. However, Manager of Licensing Services Nancy Havens says there are no plans to change the current bylaw.
Two local non-profit rescues recently received notices that they were in violation of the Animal Ownership By-Law.
Havens says pet rescues can operate under the current bylaw but not in residential areas if they have more than five cats and three dogs.
"If a rescue wanted to operate out of a dwelling, five cats would be permitted at that premise. If they want more cats, they would have to move to an agricultural zoned property," says Havens.
The petition has more than 2,100 signatures as of October 27.
Havens says having more than five cats and three dogs in a residential shelter causes noise and odour problems.
"The current bylaw says three dogs per premise and they want more dogs than that, they would have to go to an agricultural zoned property and meet the zoning setbacks that would permit a kennel to operate at that property," Havens says.
Havens says any change to the current bylaw must come from council and so far there's no direction to make changes.
"We get complaints from neighbours, not just for rescues but other households that do not meet bylaw requirements with respect to the number of cats and dogs," says Havens.