Cat Licensing - A Business Case from Calgary, Alberta

Imagine you manage Animal Control and Bylaw Services for a city of more than one million people. A city that has the best compliance record for dogs in North America. And yet a city where cats are second class citizens. Imagine for a moment that you decide to embark on providing cats with the same services and privileges that dogs have. That is exactly what Bill Bruce and his colleagues in the City of Calgary set out to do.

This business case will present a multifaceted, multi-year approach to how the bylaw was changed, how the service providers were brought together into one collaborative group and how cat licensing became a reality.

Bill Bruce joined the City of Calgary in 1981 in the Traffic Engineering Department where a great deal of his work was focused on traffic safety, regulations as well as truck and dangerous goods movement/regulation. Bill also served a two year term as assistant to the City Commissioners office before joining Animal and Bylaw Services in 2000.

Bill's approach to delivering services and compliance through partnerships with community members, business groups, other agencies and city departments has brought him a win that is highly recognized.

Bill has presented the Calgary experience across North America where the achievements of this community and the levels of collaboration are highly respected.