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RM looks for new rules to deal with rural Sask. stray horse problem

Under the current Stray Animals Act in Saskatchewan, it's the RM's responsibility to care for the animal while its owner is located.

There were six reported stray horse complaints in Mervin last summer - involving 30 horses

Bridget Yard · CBC News ·
Reeve Tom Brown says the RM of Mervin is incurring far too many costs when it comes to stray horses in the area. (Don Somers/CBC News)

The rural municipality of Mervin and other surrounding RMs have a stray horse problem.

Last summer there were six reports about a combined total of 30 stray horses.

Under Saskatchewan's current Stray Animals Act, RMs are responsible for animals while their owners are located.

If no owner comes to claim the animal it is sold at market.

"The RM has to deal with all the costs of rounding them up, feeding them, the cost of hauling them to market, the cost of selling," said reeve Tom Brown of Mervin.

Often, the proceeds from the animal amount to $200 to $300. If the RM knows who the owner is but the animal wasn't claimed, the sum from the sale goes back to the owner.

The RM sees no compensation, according to Brown.

Brown and his colleagues on Mervin's council want changes to the act to reduce the financial burden on their municipality.

Asking for changes

Brown said stray horses trample crops and are often seen in ditches along roadways.

"They're getting into some of our resort hamlets," said Brown, noting the danger to drivers.

Under the Stray Animals Act, rural municipalities must keep a stray animal 14 days to ensure that the owner has a chance to recover their animal if the owner is unknown.

If the owner is known, the animal needs to be kept only seven days.

Brown would like to see those stays reduced to seven days for animals whose owners are unknown and three days for animals whose owners are.

Brown said part of his concern about stray horses is their potential to trample crop fields. (Mike Zartler/CBC)

SARM doesn't have the power to amend the act, so the resolution is asking that SARM begins lobbying for the changes.

The government of Saskatchewan said in an emailed statement that it will " ...take comments regarding The Stray Animals Act into consideration as our government continues to update legislation in the province."

The act falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Brown said he is optimistic the resolution will be well-received by SARM members at the annual convention Tuesday. 

"It's something that's common in many RMs throughout the province," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bridget Yard

Bridget Yard is the producer of CBC's Up North. She previously worked for CBC in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan as a video journalist and later transitioned to feature storytelling and radio documentaries.

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