Flagstaff County’s new Dog Bylaw will not require dogs in rural Flagstaff or the hamlets of Strome and Galahad to be licenced, but will require every dog to have some form of ID tag, microchip, or tattoo.

Flagstaff County has a new dog bylaw, #01/17, passed during a Feb. 8 Council meeting.

The new bylaw repeals Galahad and Strome animal control bylaws, and is a first for the rest of the county.

A significant difference for hamlet residents is that a dog licence is no longer required. Residents are required, however, to have some form of identification on any dog over the age of six months, whether it is a name tag or embedded microchip.

The County does not sell identification tags.

“This will assist in reuniting dogs with their owners,” said Assistant CAO Brent Hoyland, as he presented the details of the proposed bylaw to Council.

“We are dealing with one or two dogs at large complaints in the county every year, this will help those dogs get home.”

Under the new bylaw, an owner whose dog is considered At Large is guilty of an offence.

The owner of a dog that threatens, attacks, bites, chases, injures, kills, or otherwise harasses any Person or other Animal is guilty of an offence, and the owner of a dog that causes damage to property is guilty of an offence.