Letter submitted by Cadboro Bay Resident to the Mayor and Council:
“Both the Saanich Municipality and the Oak Bay Municipality need to be reminded that Cadboro Bay and the entirely of the Cadboro Bay beach area is a Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary and that dogs and cats are not allowed on the beach at any point in time.
There is a small non-conforming and belligerent dog lobby group that wish to be allowed to run their dogs off leash on Cadboro Bay even though there are volumes of evidence showing off leash dogs regularly attacking and sometimes killing wildlife in the Cadboro Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Saanich over a year ago turned over their animal control duties to the CRD Bylaw and Animal Care Services and their approach to date has been a very soft educational process which has worked with compliant dog owners, however there are a small number of non-compliant dog owners who believe it is their god given right to run their dogs off leash anywhere in the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary area. These belligerent dog owners have no respect for the Saanich leash only Bylaw, have no respect for the Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary Act, and nor do they respect the officers of the CRD Bylaw and Animal Care Services. As a result there are still daily instances of off leash dogs harassing wildlife all throughout the Cadboro Bay beach area.
Currently the Saanich bylaw states that dogs are only allowed on the Cadboro Bay beach area if they are on leash at all times but the CRD Bylaw and Animal Care Services officers are loath to issue the $150 violation tickets they are allowed to issue for infractions and its officers lack the will, or instructions, to intercept and ticket the hard core dog owners who refuse to leash their dogs.
It is long past due for all Municipalities in the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary area to make sure their dog and cat Bylaws are not in direct contradiction with and in violation of the Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary Act. It is critical that Saanich makes sure its cat and dog Bylaw is in sync with the Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary Act. Plain and simple, all Municipalities in the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary area should be abiding by and enforcing the regulations as set out in the Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary Act.
A year plus of educational efforts is more than sufficient time for dog owners who frequent the Cadboro Bay beach and Saanich Council now needs to give CRD Bylaw and Animal Care Services clear instructions to vigorously enforce the dog leash only Bylaw, to have them start issuing the $150 violation tickets to all offenders and to report the ID’s of all the belligerent dog owners directly to the Canadian Wildlife Service officers for more behaviour altering treatment.
Saanich also needs to collaborate with Oak Bay to make sure Oak Bay changes their current leash optional policy for the south end of Cadboro Bay which is in their municipality. Oak Bay is currently in severe violation of the Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary Act and they need to be in sync with the Saanich leash only Bylaw.
It is very counterproductive for Saanich to pass a Bylaw and then fail to adequately enforce it. It sends a clear message to belligerent dog owners that they are able to flaunt the dog leash only Bylaw with relative impunity. Poor and weak enforcement of this Bylaw also sends a clear message to currently conforming dog owners. When they witness other dogs running off leash with little or no negative ramifications from CRD Bylaw and Animal Care Service officers they are being educated that there is no reason for them to continue leashing their dogs on the Cadboro Bay beach and Gyro Park.”
Sincerely,
Curby Klaibert
YES! Thank you Curby Klaibert for your thoughtful letter clearly spelling out the continued abuse of Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuaries by a group of dog owners that feel that they are above the law. Partly because as you clearly state the law is not being enforced.