Cat owner upset after Town of Biggar drops lost pet on outskirts

When Kimberly Paulsen’s cat went missing, she was hoping she would get a call that it had been found.

Instead, what she got was a call saying that her pet had been dumped outside of the community she lives in.

“I knew she wasn’t missing …,” Paulsen said. “I knew she had been taken. She loves her home. She loves her families.”

On July 14, her cat, Frankie, escaped from her home in Biggar. On July 15-16, Paulsen shared on her social media that the cat was missing. On July 18, she put up missing cat posters all over town.

Submitted. (Kimberly Paulsen)

On July 18, Paulsen got an anonymous phone call that a cat had been humanely trapped by a person who spotted it in their yard. After the cat was trapped, the person called the Town of Biggar to take the cat to the pound.

The town confirmed to 980 CJME that instead of taking the cat to the pound, the animal was released outside of town limits by a staff member.

Paulsen was led to the people who humanely trapped the cat and confirmed through a photo that the cat looked very much like Frankie.

“The town has treated my furry family member like disposable trash,” said Paulsen.

It had already been around five days before Paulsen found out the cat had been relocated outside of town limits, which reduced the likelihood of finding the cat and determining if it was hers.

“We did everything we possibly could,” said Paulsen. “I think the most terrifying part for me was that the first time I had went out that way, I had seen three separate active badgers.”

Weekend weather saw extreme heat and summer storms, according to Paulsen.

“It was not a week where (the cat) really had a chance to fight. I mean, I do hope that she is still out there but there’s no guarantee,” said Paulsen.

Microchips can help identify a licence

The Town of Biggar confirmed through a statement that a report of an at-large cat had been called into the town’s office after the animal was trapped by a member of the community. The cat had no visible licence on it at the time.

When a stray animal is found, the former Animal Control Bylaw No. 16-778 stated that if an impounded animal is wearing a valid licence for the current year, the town will contact the owner.

A licence is defined as the plate on the collar worn by the every licensed animal issued for identification by the town. While microchips are not licences, they can be scanned to identify the licences.

Paulsen was frustrated that a microchip reader was not used to identify the licence on the cat that had been trapped. Frankie’s licence was up to date for the current year.

It costs $230 to license all four of her animals. The first two licences for spayed animals are $15, and any other animals are $100 each.

The Town of Biggar confirmed that the pound in Biggar has a microchip reader, but the Animal Control Bylaw doesn’t state that a microchip reader be used to identify animals.

“I neurotically check my microchips to make sure they are up to date because I have actually lost a cat because he didn’t keep his microchip up to date,” said Paulsen.

Paulsen said this whole situation could have been resolved very quickly if the town had followed the bylaws in place and taken the cat to the pound where the microchip could have been scanned. Then the cat could have been returned to its owner.

There wasn’t documentation on the at-large cat that was taken outside of town limits when Paulsen asked for a paper trail.

The cat didn’t come back

Paulsen wrote a letter to town council about the treatment of cats at large in the community.

On Aug. 1, Biggar updated its Animal Control Bylaw after conducting an internal investigation.

“Protocols set out in the town’s Animal Control Bylaw were not properly followed by the parties responsible for its enforcement,” said Paulsen.

Animal Protective Services completed its investigation of the town on July 27, and was satisfied with the town’s co-operation in updating the entire Animal Control Bylaw in areas of humane trapping and impoundment procedures.

In an emailed statement, Animal Protective Services of Saskatchewan said that charges won’t be laid.

Paulsen was not satisfied with the new, updated Animal Control Bylaw.

“They sent me their updated bylaws and if I am being quite honest, I think they are quite a joke. I don’t think they updated anything,” said Paulsen.

Frankie has not yet been found.