Article content continued

Dan Smith, 65, owes $276 since his conviction last summer for breaching a municipal bylaw. He was told to expect to serve one day in jail for every $25 owing, so he’s looking at 11 days.

What irks the retired refrigeration technician is that no one would accept his explanation that “Winnie” doesn’t belong to him and is a feral cat. He said Winnie belongs to his “estranged” wife, Elizabeth Smith, with whom he still shares a Gatineau home, though he also has his own place in Vanier.

Continue reading…

[/np_storybar]

Winnie appeared at the Smith home 12 years ago and has been fed ever since by Smith’s estranged wife. Smith explained that it wasn’t his cat, or his home – his permanent address is in Vanier, though he still visits on occasion. The officer retorted, “you feed it, you own it,” fetched two cops and handed him a ticket, which he refuses to pay. He turned himself in Thursday and is now behind bars.

Anyone familiar with the animal care industry knows it is notoriously humourless, unbending and jealous of its powers. God help you should your dog or cat wander into a neighbour’s yard in violation of some local bylaw. Pet owners are guilty until proven innocent, and the power resides with the accusers.

Elizabeth Smith has corroborated her husband’s story, acknowledging the cat is hers, as much as a feral cat can “belong” to anyone. If she had not been so soft-hearted, the cat might have starved by now, but her husband would be free.

If Smith’s chief sin is providing sustenance to a stray cat, the implications could be far-reaching for casual animal-feeders everywhere. According to the logic of the control officer — “you feed it, you own it” — any Canadian with a bird feeder owns any sparrow or nuthatch that happens to turn up. If they own the birds, reason follows that they should be required to license the birds, just like any other “pet.” Licensing birds can be tricky, as they are notoriously averse to wearing collars. But how else to tell your finch from the neighbour’s finch?