By Kevin J Sabo
For the Advance
Castor Public Works employees have received some animal control training from a local animal rescue based out of Alix, council heard during the May 13th meeting, and more training will be coming.
The training is being undertaken by the Town employees to minimize public, staff, and animal risk. The training to date has covered the proper trapping of animals, properly approaching animals, and how to deal with aggressive animals. With the updated training current animal control bylaws are being looked into, with amendments to follow.
“Our hands get tied pretty quickly,” said Arajan van Hienen, the Castor Public Works foreman.
“We are looking into the safety issues. There’s a process to go through.”
The Town was looking into getting staff certified into using a tranquilizer gun for dealing with aggressive animals, however due to the many steps and liabilities involved in getting licenced to use this type of weapon other avenues such as live trapping are being explored.
“We are considering live trapping now as we can control that much easier,” said Castor CAO Christopher Robblee.
The Town is still early into the process of reviewing the bylaws and sourcing further animal control training and council will be updated by Robblee regularly as it progresses.
Currently, if a stray animal is captured by the Town it is kept in a kennel at the Town shop for around three days, then it is handed off to Saving Grace Animal Sanctuary.
In the case of aggressive animals, Saving Grace is enlisted in capturing the animal, and it goes directly to their shelter.