Altona's animal control officer says there's been a spike in loose dogs wandering around town this spring.

"Last year we had very few dog calls compared to what we've already experienced this year, explains Geoff Loewen. He says this raises public safety concerns, noting the dog could be perfectly fine at home but you don't necessarily know how the animal will act when the owners aren't around. "It's one of those things that you never know what can happen, something can trigger and you never know when a dog can attack."

In fact, there have been two dog biting incidents in town just in the past month.

Pets should either be tied up or confined to your yard when enjoying the outdoorsThe first case saw one person suffer minor injuries and the second incident resulted in a much smaller dog gaining life-threatening injuries. Loewen says that in both instances, the owners of the aggressor dog made the difficult decision to have their pets put down.

Loewen is reminding pet owners that they are the ones responsible for the actions of their pets and offers a few tips that will not only encourage good pet ownership but keep the general public safe as well.

First of all, he says all cats and dogs must be licensed and, for a one-time fee of $25, a license can be purchased at the Town of Altona office. He notes the animal should wear this license tag at all times. "That will aid us in getting the animal back to the proper owner (in the event they run off)."

Loewen adds, whether it's a dog or a cat, pets must be restrained at all times when walking or exercising outdoors. "It's supposed to be under your direct control."

Animals are also not allowed to run at-large and must be contained to your yard or on a leash. There are however two designated off-leash areas in town, a spot directly north of the MEC and the south side of the Buffalo Creek Nature Park.

Should you come across a loose or stray animal, Loewen says the first call should be to Animal Control at 204-324-4644.

Meantime, the town is also starting a trap and release program in order to control effectively the feral cat population. "Last year we had a large number of cats that went through the pound and again this year, it's starting to pick up again," explains Loewen.

He notes they've partnered with local cat rescue Furever Friends to trap the critters and have them spayed or neutered and, once they've healed, will be released back into the area they were caught.

There have also been several cases of cats with FIV, a disease similar to HIV in humans. "We've had a number of cats put down because of that already," said Loewen.

He says all it takes is for one infected cat to attack another cat in order for FIV to get passed on. In order to protect your pets, indoor cats should remain inside and outdoor cats should remain tied up or contained to the yard.