A proposed bylaw to cap the number of dogs and cats is drawing concern from breeders.
Ottawa’s rural affairs committee met to discuss the bylaw Thursday, which aims to limit the number of animals for a kennel or home-based breeding operation to ten.
Breeders who currently have more than ten said their animals are part of the family and they don’t want to have them taken away.
“Once we decide to keep a dog it's there forever, it’s part of the family, that's always been our goal,” said Kathleen Stewart, a licenced kennel operator for 36 years who owns 14 Siberian huskies.
“I will not get rid of my dogs. That is not anything that would ever be debated, that is my family.”
Ottawa councillor Scott Moffatt said the bylaw would be a weapon against puppy and kitten mills.
“I think the underlying issue for the whole thing is to make sure we don't have puppy mills in the future,” he said.
“It’s just trying to put something in place so we don't have situations in the future where you run into the house and there's 60 dogs in poor condition.”
The city estimates there are about 110 kennel and breeding operations in Ottawa right now, with most of them based out of people’s homes.
More than 20 people showed up to the meeting to show their opposition, including kennel operator Deb Scarf.
“I've had my kennel license now for about 15 years, and there's never been a limit so over the years I've accumulated 13 dogs,” she said.
“They just can't expect people to give their dogs away, there has to be a grace period.”
The rural affairs committee will decide if there would be a grace period of a few years to get their numbers to the limit – that and other issues will be raised once debate picks up again in December.
There is already a limit for regular pet owners – a maximum of five cats and three dogs.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Claudia Cautillo
