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Friends of the Cawthra Bush & Greater Mississauga Area
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Opening comments - more at end. Jan. 1989, Mississauga News Page - ? Cat shelter owner ordered to comply with City bylaws By (unknown) A city councillor says he is "very distressed" that a local woman who runs a cat shelter in his ward has been ordered to close it by the end of January. Ward 6 councillor David Culham said yesterday, "The City should not be going around looking for bylaw infractions" when no one from the public has complained about the Burnhamthorpe cat shelter. Lois Stevens, who runs the shelter for homeless and injured Cats on City property, has been given until the end of this month to comply with a municipal bylaw that restricts her to keeping only four cats on her lot. Stevens and her husband live in a home on Burnhamthorpe Rd. W. at the Credit River owned by Mississauga. She was notified in November that she was in violation of the bylaw, but she thought the matter was resolved when Culham said her case should be viewed as an exception to the bylaw because of the humane work she does for cats. Since her operation does not affect any surrounding residents, Culham feels the City should make an administrative exception for the cat shelter, where 30 or 40 cats are often being looked after at any one time. Shortly after receiving a hand-delivered letter from the City Friday setting the Jan.30 deadline to get rid of her cats, Stevens informed city hall that she will be appearing before the operations and works committee Jan. 11 to argue her case. Culham says City staff recommended no action be taken in the case. He alleged staff "were persuaded" to take action by Mayor Hazel McCallion, who Culham says has a strong record of supporting strict bylaw enforcement. McCallion could not be reached for comment. [ 1 ] If the bylaw was strictly enforced, then the city's efforts to save a deer herd on its property along the Credit River could be viewed as breaking the bylaw too, says Culham. The councillor says he will move at the Jan. 11 meeting that Stevens not be prosecuted under the bylaw. The public should probably be consulted on the advisability of providing an exemption to the bylaw for animal shelters such as Stevens', provided they are properly run and cause no problems for neighbors, Culham says. Anne Doncaster, president of the National Animal Rights Association, says the bylaw restricting property owners to four animals per lot was never meant to apply to animal shelters. She said in an earlier interview that people such as Stevens, who are rehabilitating animals and making sure they are adopted out again to responsible owners shouldn't have to "live in fear" that a single complaint to the City will end their operations. Stevens and her husband would like to stay in the home as long as possible. The City has been considering demolishing the home as part of its long-term development of a major public gardens and conservatory in the area. PHOTO (By Chris Horobin); Lois Stevens petting a cat in the Cattery CAPTION; Lois Stevens' cat shelter is in jeopardy after she was told she has until the end of the month to comply with bylaws that allow no more than four cats per property. PLEEASSE SIGN OUR PETITION It will make a difference! Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] [ 1 ] - Yes the Mayor telling the staff under her control what to do. I don't see any follow up in the news articles that followed asking the Mayor if what Councillor was reporting was a fact. By all accounts I hear it is common place for the Mayor to tell staff what to do. Lawful or other wise. ] |
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