Dear Editor,
So here we are, right in the middle of another beautiful fall in Ponoka, we enjoy our yard daily and let’s not forget the free roaming neighborhood cats that use them as toilets.
We are just like anyone else who has a home in Ponoka, we mow our lawns on a regular basis, my wife tends to her flower beds to remove unwanted weeds, as well as two pounds of cat crap every time she works the soil; not to mention the late night turf war meetings in our backyard- nothing like the blood curdling squeal from a cat getting its butt kicked under your bedroom window at 3 a.m., try getting back to sleep after that.
We seem to have a lot of animal traffic in our yard these days. Our two pets have both passed on, but when we had them we were responsible for them. Our dog had free run of our yard, kept in by our 6ft fence, and our cat, when outside, wore a body harness that was attached to a leash to keep him from wandering off. I’m not sure why cats are allowed to wander at will, if a dog is at large or if it messes on a lawn, the owner could be charged and fined under the bylaws of Ponoka, so why are the owners of these cats not held responsible for their pets’ actions?
I believe the people of Ponoka put Rick Bonnett in the big chair because of his youthful attitude and his positive outlook towards our town.
I think it is time for Rick and his councillors to set aside some time to discuss this troublesome issue. There needs to be something in place to hold the owners of the animals responsible, ”keep them home - keep them contained”.
There are some control measures around that help deal with this problem, a little too cruel and inhumane for me, but people will only be pushed so far until they take matters into their own hands.
It is time for cats to be added into the bylaw system. Pet owners whether dog or cat, need to be held responsible for their pets’ actions.
I know I’m not alone when it comes to these problem cats. We have friends whose cat problems are worse than ours, so we need to speak up. Send in your complaint or story, let the town know we have had enough and we need some help dealing with this problem.
Robert DeIure