Ottawa Bylaw officers are used to dealing with runaway dogs, but now they're taking on other animals.
The Humane Society was in charge of dealing with wildlife, but was recently stripped of their power by the OSPCA.
Roger Chapman, Director of By-Law and Regulatory Services says his department is picking up the job, starting on Friday.
“We are going to explore other options, such as contracting out,” Chapman says, “but, in the interim, we have hired a wildlife management officer. It’s a temporary position. This new officer will be responsible for providing training and support to the rest of our enforcement staff for calls for injured wildlife.”
For instance - if you spot an injured raccoon you can call 311. The call will be made a priority and By-Law officers will arrive to transport the animal.
Chapman says up to eight officers will be trained in wildlife management.
“They’ll be fully trained and vaccinated and will have a better understanding of different wildlife situations and how to react to those,” Chapman says.
The program will be run on a six month trial basis.