A Halifax woman says she’s actively looking to leave the city because there are too many rats in her neighbourhood.
Brenda Potter breeds Siberian huskies and says she has already lost one of her dogs to a disease carried by the rodents.
“All a rat has to do is pee someplace, and all my dogs have to do is sniff where that rat peed," says Potter.
"It's like I'm living in a war zone."
Potter lost her dog Pippen to leptospirosis last fall. She believes it was the result of a rat sneaking into her backyard and giving Pippen the disease.
“I already know that the rats in this area carry lepto, and I know how quickly it can kill a dog," she says.
Potter has placed webcams around her Fairview home, which have captured rats scurrying between properties.
While she's doing what she can to keep the rats away, she says the municipality isn't helping. Potter complained to the city, but says those concerns fell on deaf ears.
She's now started looking at properties away from the city.
“I have lived in this house since 1989,” says Potter. “Four generations of my family have lived in Halifax. I don't think Halifax is a safe place for my dogs anymore."
The city says rat problems are generally up to the homeowner to deal with, but council will get a report in a few months about mandatory baiting at construction sites.
“So depending on the size and scale of the project, they'll have to bait, basically, a certain number of days before they break ground," says Halifax Regional Municipality spokesperson Nick Ritcey.
Pest control expert Jody Dory says there will likely always be rats in Halifax, but they can be controlled.
“Moving probably isn't necessary,” Dory says. “It depends (on) how extreme her situation is, but I would say call a professional."
But Potter says she’s already viewed one property and is eyeing another.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko.
