Although mail is still not being delivered to homes on Farrow Street there is a hope at the end of the tunnel.
Kitimat Council recently received word from Canada Post via a letter that representatives of the mail organization will be working with the town to find a solution.
“We appreciate that you and your council have taken steps to strengthen fines and enforcement options in your animal control bylaws,” wrote Robert Sawka, director or operations for Vancouver Island and Coastal regions for Canada Post.
He later wrote, “an agreement to resume delivery to Farrow Street should also stipulate next steps in the event this dog becomes a problem at some point in the future.”
Sawka said in his letter that there is a specific dog on the street which has been a problem for mail carriers, but which would not cause any incidents for months at a time.
Sawka concluded the letter saying he has instructed his representatives to contact the staff at the District of Kitimat and the Humane Society “to arrange a meeting in an effort to resolve this matter.”
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Kitimat, Warren Waycheshen, told councillors that there have been some talks with Canada Post representatives.
Waycheshen said in an e-mail to the Northern Sentinel last week that although mail is still not being delivered at this time, he and the manager at the humane society continue to work on a solution to get mail to be delivered. He didn’t know at this time what the successful plan would look like.
Meanwhile councillors have passed third reading and are expected to shortly adopt an updated bylaw for animal control in town, partly in response to the issue of mail delivery on Farrow.
Notable portions of the bylaw include higher impoundment fees. A second impoundment of a dog within 24 months will cost the pet owner $60, a third to cost $100, and a fourth to cost $300. At five times the fee is $500.
Impounding a dog considered “dangerous” would also incur a $300 fee.
A dangerous dog would be defined as any dog which has killed or seriously injured a person or animal, has a known tendency to attack humans or animals without provocation, has bitten or attacked aggressively pursued a person or animal without provocation, or a dog which a control officer has reasonable grounds to believe the dog is likely to kill or seriously injure a person.
A dangerous dog at large would also result in a $300 fine.