Rating: 1
This motion would help manage the cat overpopulation issue in Toronto and relieve the burden of volunteers who tirelessly work to fill in the gaps that Toronto Animal Services does not address. Including an issue I had to personally take care of on the 73rd hour after contacting Toronto Animal Services promising to respond within 72 hours. No follow up call leaving 14 cats to die in an empty apartment in Toronto Housing. I trapped/picked up the 14 cats, had them spayed / neutered and they have been adopted out to homes. If you read the ammended motion back in September 2013 the success of the program is to be reported on March 2015. Impossible if proper effort has not been put in program to roll it out. WHY? no communication about this to the many people it would help! Origin (September 3, 2013) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards Summary Toronto Animal Services (TAS) promotes responsible pet ownership, pet adoption and pet identification through Chapter 349, Animals and through services it provides to residents of the City of Toronto. TAS determines fees for approval by Council that are reasonable for residents and that offset the costs of specific services. In some cases, the fees may be a deterrent to responsible pet ownership. The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards has authority in Chapter 442, Fees and Charges, Administration of, to allow for temporary reductions in adoption fees, impoundment fees, surrender fees and sheltering fees. This report seeks broader authority by establishing a Reduction in Fees Policy for Toronto Animal Services that would delegate authority to the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to reduce eligible fees based on a set of criteria. This would promote residents who may otherwise not have the ability to pay TAS' fees, to properly care for their pet. Background Information (September 3, 2013) Report and Attachment 1 from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, on Reduction in Fees Policy for Toronto Animal Services (http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/ls/bgrd/backgroundfile-61270.pdf) Motions 1 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Carried) That City Council amend Attachment 1 to the report (September 3, 2013) from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, by deleting the criteria of "family income must be less than the low income cut-off (LICO) threshold as identified by the Canadian federal government" and replacing it with "must have a household income of $50,000 or less". 2 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Ron Moeser (Carried) That the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, report to the Licensing and Standards Committee in 18 months on the success of this program. Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)
