Minutes Village of Westport Commission
Call to order: 6:34 p.m.
Attendees: Gordie O’Neill(Commissioner); Shelley Lonergan(Commissioner); Trevor Moore(Commissioner); Cheyenne Peterson(Clerk/Treasurer)
Re: Emergency Meeting in regard to current issue with cattle getting out.
Meeting was brought together to discuss with the community what was being done to stop the cattle from escaping their land, this has been an ongoing issue since mid August 2023. Shelley is the main correspondence with the Municipality of Digby.
It was brought to our attention that Digby Municipality is in fact in charge of the issue prior to Farm Animal Welfare under the Fences and Livestock Act. The Municipality does not deal with animals who are/seem to be neglected. Representative have already been down to speak with the individuals and advised them what had to be done. They gave them two weeks the mend the issue on their own terms, however, if the fence is not mended to the standards they require by that time, the Municipality will fix the fence themselves and the individual will be billed through their taxes. Building inspectors are who will come down and inspect the fence after the 2 week period.
The commission has been advised that the individual is currenty working on upgrading the fences. Reports of the cattle getting out are still coming in during this time. The commission has made clear that they are not in charge of these types of issues as it is not their jurisdiction, it is the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Digby. The commission has stated that they will continue to follow-up with the Municipality as cows have still been reported out and roaming free.
In regard to Farm Animal Welfare, they are located in Truro, NS. They only come down to investigate a report of neglect if the place where the animals reside is currently fenced in.
The commission has advised the community members to contact them should they sight anymore outings or issues with the cattle. It has been noted that there is currently no fence at the back of the property along the wooded area. They have also advised the community that they should contact their vehicle insurance providers in case of incident.
Meeting adjourned: 7:27 p.m.