Petting zoos and other mobile displays featuring live animals could soon be banned in Port Moody.
A report to be presented to council's governance and legislation committee on Tuesday, Jan. 21, recommends staff be directed to draft a corporate policy that would restrict mobile live animal programs from operating on public and private property in the city.
The report’s authors, environmental technician Jan Lee and Port Moody’s manager of environmental services, Tanya Bettles, said several complaints were received by the city about the standards of care and supervision of animals in a display at last year’s Fingerling Festival. In years past, a petting zoo was also an attraction at Golden Spike Days.
As well, the city has received letters from the BC SPCA, Vancouver Humane Society and a resident expressing concerns about live animal programs.
At a delegation prior to last Tuesday’s regular council meeting, Nadia Xenakis, a wild animal welfare specialist for the BC SPCA, told councillors such displays present a risk to animals physical and psychological well-being as well as to public health and safety. They can also spread disease like bird flu.she said.
Kristen Jakub, a specialist in farm animal welfare, said while live animal programs are often promoted as educational experiences, they actually offer very little about how animals live in their natural habitat.
In fact, she added, they can even suggest it’s okay to remove animals from their natural environs.
In their report, Lee and Bettles said live animal displays promote animals as a form of entertainment and normalizes keeping them in captivity.
They said several communities in Metro Vancouver have some sort of bylaw regulating live animal programs, although their approaches vary.
Chilliwack, for instance, prohibits shows, circuses or exhibition carnivals from using wild or exotic animals to perform, fight or participate in a show for the amusement or entertainment of an audience.
New Westminster bans shows, performances and exhibitions from using live animals unless they are domestic or companion animals.
And the District of North Vancouver doesn’t allow performances, circuses, public shows, exhibitions, carnivals, travelling petting zoos, rodeos and dog races. But it does permit performances involving dogs, horses or farm animals on a farm or show grounds.
Lee and Bettles’ report suggest three possible approaches to restricting live animal programs in Port Moody, from drafting a new city policy, to updating existing parks and community facilities bylaws or business licensing bylaws. But they said care must be taken to exempt legitimate animal rescue and non-profit organizations, as well as those displaying fish or invertebrates. They also suggest including a schedule of acceptable animals like domestic ferrets and rescued wildlife such as owls and hawks.
If a ban is enacted, it would be a 180-degree reversal of a suggestion put forth in 2019 by then-Mayor Rob Vagramov that the vacant old fire hall property at the corner of Ioco Road and Murray Street could be used for a weekend petting zoo.
In 2023, Port Moody banned rodeos from alighting in the city.
Coun. Kyla Knowles, who championed the idea, said while Port Moody “doesn’t exactly have space to hold rodeo events,” prohibiting them would be a symbolic gesture to disavow the pain and suffering rodeo animals can experience as they’re bucked, roped or wrestled to the ground.
Following last Tuesday call from the BC SPCA representatives for Port Moody to ban live animal programs, Knowles said the city has an opportunity to be a leader on the issue.
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