Page 1 of 330 The Monthly National Legislation Report 7/5/2010 ...

The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 108 of 3307/5/2010Fanwood – (10/13/09) - Municipal leaders in Fanwood are considering an ordinance that strengthens the borough’s leash law, making it illegal for a dog to run free on private property,except in its owner’s yard.To be introduced at a borough council meeting tonight, the new ordinance revises the language of the existing dog-at-large statute. Presently, the borough’sordinance states dogs may not run off-leash on a public street or in parks, buildings or any community space. But private properties are excluded from the statute. The council will considerapproving the ordinance at its second reading, which is expected on Nov. 10.Howell – (10/21/09) - Following months of examination, a dog ordinance that once riled the residents of Howell has been brought back to the table to largely positive reviews. The originalordinance, which was slated to have been adopted in February, would have limited the number of pets a resident is permitted to have to five dogs or cats, or a combination thereof. Officialssaid the intent of the ordinance was to protect animals from abuse and neglect. The law was drafted after Monmouth County Board of Health officials, in conjunction with the AssociatedHumane Societies and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, removed a number of dogs from a township kennel. But pet owners rallied against the dogordinance, claiming it would punish many individuals for the misdeeds of a few. The public convinced the governing body at a Feb. 17 hearing that the measure was too broad andunconstitutional and the Township Council voted against its adoption, instead calling for the formation of a committee to explore possible solutions. These solutions were researched over thecourse of the year by a committee of residents and experts headed by Township Attorney McKenna Kingdon. The final amended dog ordinance was a discussion item on the agenda for theOct. 6 council workshop meeting. The ordinance, as amended, establishes commercial breeders, dog kennels, shelters, pounds, training facilities and pet shops as a conditional use withinthe Special Economic Development (SED) zone and Highway Development (HD), HD-2 and HD-3 zones. It also revises the licensing requirements and definitions, which were the cause ofconcern among residents, regarding breeders, boarders, training facilities and pet shops. The purpose of the revised dog ordinance is to protect the general welfare of residents fromirresponsible dog ownership, to encourage commercial entities to locate an adequately sized property, to regulate, but not limit, the number of dogs on a property, and to recognize that dogsare not considered livestock. Kingdon elaborated on revised licensing requirements, which was also a main function of the ordinance. Although there is not a definitive date yet, the dogordinance will be on the agenda for introduction, public hearing and adoption in the coming months.Margate – (10/21/09) - After months of planning, the Margate City Dog Park will officially open 1 p.m. Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. It will be open 8 a.m. to dusk seven days a week.A planned registration last week was cancelled due to the rain, but dogs can be registered at City Hall. Owners must furnish proof of current rabies and distemper vaccines, and dogs must belicensed. Registration is $30 for one year. Deputy City Clerk Rosemarie Freed said those who register now will get the advantage of a few extra months, as their registration will be goodthrough the end of 2010. A yellow tag will be given out that dogs must wear around their neck at all times in the park. Entrance to the park is via a keypad lock. Park rules state that the owneris responsible for any action of their dog and liable for any damages suffered by a person or another animal. No prong, pinch or metal choke collars are permitted, and no children under 12are permitted in the park. Professional dog walkers may not use the park for professional purposes, and no sick dog or dog in heat is permitted. The full set of rules is provided uponregistration.NEW MEXICORio Rancho – (10/25/09) - In October 2008, the City Council approved the formation of the Rio Rancho Animal Welfare Task Force. Our commission was to review and offer proposedchanges to ordinances with the goal of improving animal welfare. At our initial meeting, Mayor Tom Swisstack challenged us to look into where the city needs to be in regard to protectinganimals years from now, not just where it should be today. We’ve spent hours taking public input and researching ordinances to find the ones best suited for the unique environment andculture of Rio Rancho. Other issues the task force are tackling include standards for pet stores, animal shelters, boarding kennels, grooming parlors and hobby breeders. We are creatingstandards for animal day care centers, animal rescue groups and animal foster homes. The task force has been wrestling with updating Rio Rancho’s animal ordinances for almost a year.This may seem too long for those who are anxious about animal welfare issues in our city, but it has been time well spent. The task force is doing its absolute best to consider all views andbalance the needs of our citizens with the welfare of our animals. This has been a long and often rocky road, but one well worth traveling because, in the end, the Task Force will present tothe mayor and City Council proposed changes that we believe best serve both the animals and citizens of Rio Rancho. [The public is welcome to attend any of the Rio Rancho AnimalWelfare Task Force meetings which are held on the first, third and fifth Mondays of the month. Each meeting has time set aside for public comment. Anyone may also contact the city staffmember assigned to the task force, Barbara Bayer, at the Meadowlark Senior Center (891-5018) or the chair of the task force, Patricia Feeser, DVM, at her office High Desert AnimalHospital, 892-4412.White Sands Missle Range – (10/21/09) - Responding to an increase in the on post pet population the White Sands Missile Range Police Department has assigned officers to enforceanimal welfare laws. All pets on WSMR are to be registered, implanted with a radio identification chip, wear a collar with identification tags, and if outside their yard, kept on a leash. While notrequired, it is strongly encouraged that all pet be spayed or neutered. Police will also be enforcing Animal welfare laws on the installation to ensure that all pets are treated properly. Animalson post should have food, plenty of clean water, proper shelter and a clean environment. Water and shelter are especially important during the hot summer months on WSMR. The penaltyfor animal neglect could cost service members areduction in rank and several hundred to several thousand dollars in fines. Civilians could end up in jail for a criminal violation. To report a violation call Police Dispatch at 678-1234.NEW YORKBethlehem – (10/15/09) - Residents on Pineridge Place are in the midst of a cat fight over feline feces that has some residents comparing their cul-de-sac to a litter box. Bolen appealed tothe town board in early September, asking them to adopt a law similar to that in Ravena. Cats in that town must be identified by tags and will be trapped if they're running at large. The town'sanimal control officer will return the feline to its rightful owner if it has the proper identification. The law was originally created to stop feral cats, but has also helped curb the number ofdomestic cats wandering town streets. The women are organizing a petition drive and want to discuss with town officials about town-wide cat laws that would ban owners from allowing theirfelines to run at-large.New Windsor – (10/23/09) - (Stewart Military Base) - A Marine Corps concern about breeds of dogs living on bases has prompted assessment reviews by the ASPCA. One of those reviewteams came to New Windsor Thursday to assess family dogs at the Stewart Terrace Housing adjacent to Stewart Airport where a Marine Corps Reserve unit shares the Air National GuardBase. One of the ASPCA’s SAFER animal behavior experts, Susan Britt, examined the animals. “Our invitation here was to look at six dogs on base, to evaluate them to determine whetherthey would be staying on base with their families,” she said. As of noon, she examined three of the six pit bulls and found them safe to live in their current homes.Pomfret – (10/19/09) - The Pomfret Town Board listened as Lakeshore Humane Society volunteers explained a purrr-plexing issue during its recent meeting. All kidding aside, the group of ahalf dozen volunteers was looking for the town to acknowledge what is literally a growing problem within the area. "This summer we have been inundated with phone calls from people in thetown of Pomfret community. Many people found they have homeless cats in their environment," said Lakeshore Humane Society volunteer Anne Bowers. "I am here to ask the board forsome acknowledgement of this problem. We are seeing and hearing people in Pomfret with problems that need to be addressed. I realize that includes a commitment of money and time andplanning, but it is something that we recognized." Bowers read aloud an informational sheet provided by Ally Cat Allies, the cats' leading advocate, according to its Web site. According toACA and Bowers, the Trap/Neuter/Return method is the only effective and humane way to manage feral cat populations. Pomfret Councilwoman Pat Christina, who coordinates the bi-annualrabies clinics in the town, seemed receptive to the idea and recommended that the village of Fredonia also be informed of the issue so that a joint collaboration could be made possible. Theboard held no further discussion on the request during their meeting Wednesday but the issue is now on the table.Southampton – (10/22/09) - Southampton Town officials and representatives of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation met last week to discuss the foundation’s bid to take overoperation and management of the shelter next year. The meeting ended with the foundation agreeing to rework its bid to reflect town requests that the foundation kick in more dollars to runthe shelter during the first year of the proposed three-year contract, Assistant Town Attorney Joseph Burke said. The foundation is chaired by Southampton philanthropist Susan Allen, whocontributed more than $1.4 million to help build the shelter in 1999. Other changes are also planned at the shelter. Ms. Kabot said animal control officers will take on duties of shelteremployees, including animal training and aggression testing. Councilwoman Anna Throne-Holst, who is running against Ms. Kabot for the supervisor seat this November, has objected tofolding animal control into the animal shelter because of the additional workload for the control officers. She did not return a call seeking comment this week. The town does not wantdangerous dogs to be adopted and that the town will seek to have the foundation continue current policies at the shelter.NORTH CAROLINAAberdeen – (10/22/09) - A fact-finding trip to a dog-training facility gave members of the Town Board a better idea of what K2 Solutions Inc. hopes to establish in Aberdeen. Though LaneKjellsen, founder and president of K2 Solutions, is asking for significantly more property in Aberdeen, he is currently training 130 dogs on five acres bordering a residential area. Zell alsoadded that the noise of dogs barking was no more of an issue at the facility than trains going through town or the sounds of detonations coming from Fort Bragg. The dogs respond to -commands to be quiet immediately. The facility has about 40 employees who specialize in different aspects of the training and maintenance of the dogs. Zell also commented on theobedience of the dogs and the training process that they go through for eight hours a day. Kjellsen told the Town Board at its Oct. 12 meeting that K2 Solutions pays $5,500 for each dog toenter the program. This cost excludes transportation of the dogs, veterinary services and the time spent training them. Overall, Zell and Liles thought the tour gave the board members a