The Village of Oil Springs has no plans to hire a dog catcher. The municipality has been without an animal control officer since June 30, but the municipality hasn’t really noticed. Since June 30, when animal control officer Vicki Kyle of Glencoe Animal Shelter retired after 30 years, the village hasn’t had any dog catcher calls.

Oil Springs Council approved a change to the cost of dog tags at its Jan 10 meeting to $25 per dog. This makes it much more simple, said Village of Oil Springs Clerk Martha Gawley. Previously it depended whether a dog was spayed or neutered, and went up according to how many dogs were in the household.

It had previously been $20 for the first neutered or spayed dog in your home, $35 for the second, $50 for the third and $65 for the fourth. It was $50 for the first non-neutered or spayed dog, $65 for an additional second dog, $80 for a third and $90 for a fourth.

Only two dogs are allowed in a household, unless a resident has a kennel. Mayor Ian Veen said there are a quite a few dogs in Oil Springs. There were approximately 100 dog licenses taken out last year, but Veen said there are probably about 50 dogs, which aren’t licensed.

If dog owners do not pay for a license by May 1, the fee will be $50. If they continue to not pay it, it can be added to a property owner’s taxes, said Gawley.

If a dog is picked up in Oil Springs by municipal staff, it will be taken to the Sarnia Humane Society at a cost of $90. It was suggested to put the money collected through dog tags in a reserve.

Blake Ellis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent