Forget Fido: 'Buddy' is the most common dog name in Winnipeg

In Winnipeg, there seems to be only one top dog: a black Labrador retriever named Buddy, according to city data obtained by CBC News.

A request to the City of Winnipeg under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) revealed interesting details about some of the roughly 64,000 dogs that are licensed here.

The city's Animal Services Agency says the 10 most common names among registered dogs are:

1. Buddy — 572 dogs have this name.
2. Charlie — 568.
3. Molly — 537.
4. Bailey — 523.
5. Bella — 517.
6. Max — 492.
7. Maggie — 438.
8. Daisy — 403.
9. Sadie — 362.
10. Lucy — 322.

Leland Gordon, the Animal Services Agency's chief operating officer, says it's important for dogs to be licensed in case they go missing.

"Most of the dogs, when they come in and we ask them their name, they don't know what it is," he said cheekily.

"So we go ahead and we look at their licence, and their licence tells us what their name is and their licence gets that dog back to them really quick."

When it comes to breeds, the top three among licensed dogs are:

1. Labrador retriever — 5,838 dogs.
2. German Shepherd — 3,921.
3. Shih Tzu — 3,352.

Gordon said people who are looking to adopt often go to the pound with a particular breed in mind, but end up choosing a different dog.

"Some people might say, 'All I want is a golden retriever,' 'Oh, golden retriever's the best,' 'I had a golden retriever' [or] … 'They are the smartest dogs,' right?" he said.

"They come in looking for a golden retriever to adopt, and they end up leaving with something that's close because they take that dog outside into one of our play yards; they spend time with the dog."

The City of Winnipeg even knows the most popular coat colour among local dogs:

1. Black — 16,392 dogs.
2. White — 8,361.
3. Brown — 4,347.

Number of licensed dogs up

The number of licensed dogs in Winnipeg has more than doubled in the past six years, mainly because of increased enforcement.

While dog licensing is mandatory, Gordon estimates there are actually upwards of 112,000 dogs in Winnipeg, over half of which are registered.

When a dog without a licence is brought to the pound, it's kept there for three days while staff try to find its owner.

After three days, they assess the dog for health and aggressiveness to decide whether it can be adopted out or placed with a foster family.

Seventy dogs were put down last year because they had poor health or they were deemed to be violent.

Gordon said that number is much lower than in previous years because of an increase in adoptions and foster homes, but he added that licensing can play an important role.

"If this dog had a licence on, it wouldn't even be here," he said as he petted a white dog that arrived at the pound a few days ago.

Cat licensing starts Jan. 1

Meanwhile, the City of Winnipeg will launch its cat licensing program on Jan. 1, in an effort to control a large cat population.

• Winnipeg's cat licensing bylaw approved by city council
• Cat populations increase at Winnipeg shelters

Officials don't have any data right now on Winnipeg's cat population, but they believe there are more cats than dogs.

"Cats are having more of an impact on animal shelters and rescue groups in the Winnipeg area than dogs are," Gordon said.

But, he added, "Winnipeg is actually one of the last major cities in Canada to not have cat licensing."

The new program will charge $15 annually for spayed/neutered cats or $50 for those that are not fixed.

All cats that are six months old or older must be licensed, even the ones that never leave the house, according to the city. Failure to license a cat would result in a $250 fine.

The city says half of the gross revenue from cat licences will help expand local spay and neuter programs, while some money will help the Animal Services Agency provide care.