Sarnia's mayor is concerned that changes to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) mandate will put a financial burden on municipalities across the province.
As of April 1, the organization is no longer enforcing animal cruelty legislation relating to livestock, and will stop with all animals by June 28.
Mayor Mike Bradley said that will result in more calls to police, and is something a lot of officers aren't specifically trained for.
"We're going through dramatic changes within the police act, and we've got many issues from the policing point of view as it relates to addictions and drug enforcement," said Bradley. "Now to have another service passed onto us, one that we're not mandated and equipped to do, is wrong. It's my hope the province will back off and take on the responsibility, which is theirs, to make sure animals across Ontario are protected."
Bradley said the province has the ability through their ministries, like agriculture, to take care of the service.
He said the city still working to determine how much extra costs they would be on the hook for.
In 2017, the OSPCA investigated 15,519 complaints which resulted in 3,988 animal care orders, 1,220 animals removed, 573 provincial charges, and 21 criminal charges.
That was supported by $5.6 million in provincial funding.
Meanwhile, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is encouraging the province to adopt a service delivery model for animal cruelty enforcement. The AMO also wants funding provided to cities that provide their own services.