Public Meeting for Off-Leash Dog Park - Thursday October 30, 2014

I know this is short notice - but the city is putting on a public meeting regarding a proposed off leash park in Halifax tomorrow night at the Halifax Forum if you want to have your voice heard - here is the press release they put out -

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014 (Halifax, NS) – Residents are invited to attend a public consultation session on Thursday, Oct. 30, to discuss a proposed fenced-in off-leash dog park at the Halifax Mainland Common to replace the off-leash area at Africville Park.

Regional Council voted on June 24 to close the off-leash area at Africville Park as soon as a new site is identified and opened. Until that happens, the current site at Africville Park will remain an off-leash area. Councillors have asked that the new park be in place by the end of 2014.

At its Oct. 21 meeting, Council approved a staff recommendation to hold community consultation on a proposed fenced-in off-leash site southwest of the artificial turf fields at the Mainland Common. A photo of the proposed site is attached here and available online at http://www.halifax.ca/property/OLPS/index.php.

Residents can provide feedback at the public consultation session, which will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 30, at the Halifax Forum, 6209 Almon St., in the Maritime Hall building. For those unable to attend, feedback can be sent to Holly Richardson in Parks & Recreation at richarh@halifax.ca.

For more information on municipal off-leash areas and the Off-Leash Parks Strategy, please visit http://www.halifax.ca/property/OLPS/index.php.

So if you want to stay up to date on whats going on - you should show up!

Elderdog's Dignity Project

Buttercup and I were so happy to take part in their "Dignity" project recently - "a visual exploration of the dignity, grace and beauty of the senior canine" - they allowed Buttercup to be part of the project - and yesterday they released one of the photos they took you can go check what they say about the picture on Facebook - or on Elderdogs website at http://www.elderdog.ca/Education/TheDignityProject.aspx - it was taken by noted local photographer Robert MacLellan

I am so lucky that we got to be part of this project, thank you so much to Elderdog for letting us take part.

Amended Animal Protection Act Submitted to Legislature October 9, 2014

I know I'm getting to this late, but better late than never.

Last Thursday Minister Colwell submitted an amended Animal Protection Act to the Legislature that has 3 amendments to it that were added from the previous Animal Protection Act that has yet to be proclaimed by the Legislature - this has to be done before the regulations that we are all waiting to come into effect so that the anti-tethering portion can come into play.

The items that were added into the Act were that cats are now specicifically included in the Act - it will now become an offence to abandon an animal, Municipalities and others will have enforced powers under the Act, and a veterinarians certificate will now be needed for the sale of any cat.

Before the regulations can be passed by the Cabinet - this Act has to work its way through the government and be proclaimed - hopefully by November, and then the Minister said it will hopefully be a quick process that the regulations we've all been waiting for can be passed. It's the regulations - not the actual Act - that has the provisions for dogs not being tethered longer than 12 hours at a time - here are the "Draft Standards of Care" that the regulations will be based around, that we have all been waiting for - it will work in tandem with the Animal Protection Act as it is passed in the Legislature - I am interested to see how making it illegal to abandon an animal will play out - because just that happens so often and causes so much turmoil that will be a huge thing for the animals in Nova Scotia - it's a fabulous change that I applaud the government for doing.

Including cats too has been a historic thing for Nova Scotia - cats suffer so much - including them in the legislation shows how far we've come as a province when it comes to animal suffering, and how much the government has listened to the political groups in this province. Last week was a historic day for animal welfare in Nova Scotia, that's for sure.