65-Year-Old Man Jailed For Refusing To Register Estranged Wife’s Cat

Andrew Follett

A Canadian man is going to jail for failing to register a cat named “Winnie.”

Dan Smith, a 65-year-old retired refrigeration technician, turned himself in Thursday to a police station in Gatineau, Quebec. “I want to get this over with,” Smith told a policewoman at the from desk of the station, according to The Ottawa Sun. “I’m turning myself in, I’m surrendering.”

Smith had owed $276  in fines and court costs after being found guilty last summer of not having a cat license, which is required under a city bylaw. Smith claims that he does not own Winnie, as the cat is feral and only stuck around for the last 12 years because his estranged wife kept feeding it.

He was given the choice of paying additional fines, totaling $326, or going to jail for three days. He elected to go to jail, saying “It’s the principle. Why should I pay a fine if I don’t own a cat?”

Smith says he does not resent Winnie.

In the United States, licensing of domestic animals is mandated by state or local governments.  Every state requires some form of licensing for dogs. The only state to require a license for cats is Rhode Island, though California and Maine have detailed codes of conduct regarding cats.

Follow Andrew on Twitter

Send tips to andrew@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.