Committee supports bylaw change to impose $500 fines to control foxtail barley

A Calgary city council committee gave the green light Wednesday to a bylaw change that would impose a $500 fine on property owners who fail to trim foxtail barley, a native grass with spiky seeds that can be harmful to pets. 

The city's community development committee voted 9-1 to approve the change to the community standards bylaw. Next week, the full council is set to vote on the matter as an item of "urgent business."

Coun. Evan Spencer, who spearheaded the bylaw change, said that the focus isn't so much homeowners but the owners of land awaiting development. On such lots, he says, the plant thrives, as it can grow on recently disrupted land and in soils too salty for other vegetation. 

"They are prime places for foxtail to root and grow and create the worst outcomes," he told the Calgary Eyeopener. "Because it seeds so quickly and can expand so rapidly, it can take over a field in a season, and have some pretty negative outcomes for those who live adjacent."

LISTEN | Coun. Evan Spencer on the Calgary Eyeopener 

Foxtail barley is a perennial grass that is native to Alberta. While it has several positive properties, such as reducing soil erosion, its seeds pose a sharp problem. 

When the plant's barbed seeds, called awns, are sniffed up or inhaled by pets, especially dogs, the pointy fibres burrow into their flesh, continually pushing forward, becoming difficult to remove and sometimes requiring surgery.

The awns can also get snagged on animal fur, leading to infections. 

"The worst case scenario, especially if it gets ingested, it can lead to the pet being put down," Spencer said in a phone interview. 

Around this time of year, foxtails become a common issue for pets, said Dr. Danielle Rowe, a veterinarian at Nolan Hill Veterinary Hospital.

Recently, she treated a dog that had a foxtail seed lodged in its mouth. 

"I've seen foxtails, pulled them out of multiple different locations in dogs," she said. "Feet, ears, mouths — anywhere on their body, anywhere they roll around on the grass." 

Removing an awn from a dog's mouth, for instance, might cost up to $500, as the procedure might require sedation and anesthetic, Rowe said.

However, if a dog ingests an awn and emergency surgery is needed, the treatment bill can be significantly more expensive.

$500 fine, other charges 

Should the change in bylaw go into effect, the owners of a "nuisance property" could be fined $500 if they fail to comply following a warning to cut foxtail barley on their land down to eight centimetres. 

Further charges could amass if the owner still refuses to comply following the fine and the city gets someone else to trim the grass.

The single vote against the proposed bylaw change at Wednesday's committee meeting came from Coun. Andre Chabot, who said the regulations would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce and unfairly target private property. 

"Why are we trying to regulate it only on private lands and not on public lands?" he said. "Especially considering it's a native plant."

"If we're truly trying to address the issue with foxtail and the negative impact it has on animals, let's do it comprehensively and not limit it to private property."

Currently, the city manages foxtail barley in public areas popular with dog walkers, such as Auburn Bay Dog Park. The city has also launched awareness campaigns aimed at educating Calgarians about the dangers posed by the plant's sharp awns.

The full council will debate the bylaw change Tuesday.