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Victoria won’t be making changes to its Animal Control Bylaw in response to a report of a dog being treated with naloxone after ingesting opioids.

Councillors Stephen Andrew and Charlayne Thornton-Joe were seeking changes to the city bylaw to require anyone who administers naloxone, also known as Narcan, to an animal to report it and to allow animal control officers to seize animals they believe have ingested drugs.

Andrew noted Portland Housing Society staff at 844 Johnson St., which provides supportive housing, recently reported to animal control they resuscitated a small dog belonging to a resident with three doses of Narcan. Staff said it was the seventh time they had administered the opioid-blocking medication to the same dog.

Councillors voted Thursday against a motion by Andrew and Thornton-Joe to amend the city bylaw, after several councillors noted the issue is covered by legislation at other levels of government.

“I feel that we’re doing everything within our jurisdiction and that other jurisdictions have ample ambit to address the issues,” said Mayor Lisa Helps.

Andrew called the comments “a little bit disingenuous,” saying there are already elements in the city bylaw that are duplicated by provincial legislation.

Andrew and Thornton-Joe rejected criticism of the proposal that the changes would target marginalized people. Andrew said the purpose was to protect animals whose owners are not caring for them.

Grant McKenzie, ­communications director at Our Place Society, said he would have liked to see “a bit more compassion” in the proposal.

“I think we have to realize how important the animals are to the street community, how important they are to their health, you know, having that unconditional love,” he said.

McKenzie said the changes could have given bylaw officers too much power to seize animals, and he’s not aware of many instances of dogs consuming drugs in supportive housing.

regan-elliott@timescolonist.com