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

The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 112 of 3307/5/2010Baxter – (10/23/09) - In an effort to control the number of dogs and cats in the city of Baxter, city codes inspector Bob Lane proposed an ordinance to the Baxter planning committee lastnight to do just that. The ordinance states that two or fewer cats are allowed on any lot a half-acre or less, three dogs or cats on any lot from one to two acres, and no more than four dogs orcats on two acres or more, unless zoned for a veterinary clinic or a boarding or grooming business. No dogs would be permanent at these locations, so not to exceed the number based onthe lot size set above. Any dog found vicious by nature or has an aggressive behavior or has a history of such behavior will have to be kept in a pen or inside a structure and cannot be tiedas a means to control that dog. People who would not be in compliance would be given a reasonable amount of time to get in compliance. Lane said that the city ordered equipment to startcatching cats, which are also a problem. Committee members expressed that they should put exceptions in before recommending it to the full board. The committee decided to look at someexceptions to add to the ordinance and re-visit it next month before taking it to the full board for approval.Dandridge – (10/13/09) - The Dandridge City Council rejected a proposed ban on pit bulls and will start from square one on the issue.Town Administrator Jim Hutchinson saidearlier Tuesday evening that city councilman denied the proposal as written. Hutchinson says the city is re-working the proposal to read "vicious dog" instead of naming a specific breed. Aworkshop on the revisions will be held the first Tuesday in November. A vote is expected in December.Dyersburg – (10/23/09) - The Dyersburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved an attorney's invoice for $4,781.25. McCright moved to approve the invoice, with Chaney adding a second.Moody noted the vicious dog entries listed on the invoice and asked if the city's new vicious dog ordinance was resulting in convictions in court. Holden said the ordinance is achieving resultsand the entries on the invoice are from the city attorney representing the city in court in vicious dog cases. He offered to give Moody statistics on the new vicious dog ordinance later in theweek. Moody declined. The motion passed unanimously.Jackson (10/9/09) - The city of Jackson is proposing "breeder permits", anti-tethering, and pet limits (no more than 6 dogs or cats over the age of 6 months). The hearing is Thursday,October 15 @ 4pm. UPDATE: (10/16/09) - An hour long discussion on animal-control proposals focused on threeissues Thursday at Jackson City Hall:A $50 fee for owning more than six dogs and cats.How animal-control laws are enforced.How animals can be kept on property.City officials, animal organizations and area rescue groups were part of the discussion.Mayor Jerry Gist's crime task force has recommended that Jackson residents pay a $50 fee if they own more than six dogs and cats. The City Council has delayed a vote on that proposaland other animalcontrollaws until next month to allow city officials to consider the task force's proposal and an alternate proposal from City Councilman Frank Neudecker. Neudecker said Thursday he wantsto allow people to own as many pets as they want as long as the animals are properly maintained and not a nuisance. He asked that a definition for nuisance be placed in the task force'sproposal. The restriction would be on dogs and cats older than six months. If a violation occurred, the pet owner would have 30 days to appeal.Among the exceptions to the six-animal limit are rescue groups, owners of show dogs and breeders, who would have to get a special permit. UPDATE: (10/23/09) - Jackson officials andresidents on both sides of a proposed animal control ordinance exchanged sharp words on Thursday over a mandatory spay and neutering rule and the arrangement of the afternoon'smeeting. The meeting was the second held in hopes of producing a compromise proposal since the City Council postponed a vote on the rules earlierthis month. Another session is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. The ordinance, drafted in the spring by Mayor Jerry Gist's crime task force, would require most dogs and cats be spayed orneutered toprevent reproduction unless their owners pay for a $200 breeding permit. It would create a low-cost spay and neutering program funded by animal control fees that could be contracted out toa local nonprofit. Robin Cannon, a member of the legislative committee of the American Rottweiler Club, also charged that the mandating of spaying and neutering interferes with propertyrights and veterinary practice. Some supporters of the spay and neuter rule also portrayed Cannon, who is from Kentucky, as an out-of-town interloper and painted breeders who allied withher as “high-spending elitists”. Councilman Frank Neudecker was concerned about local veterinarians being able to handle the increase of spay and neuter work the new law could bring.Neudecker said he has doubts that the ordinance will be voted onby the council in November. AND WE JUST HAD TO INCLUDE THIS LITTLE DITTY : City Council members got a couple impromptu canine anatomy lessons from Jackson residents onThursday during a public discussion of the mandatory spay and neuter rule in the animal control ordinance proposed by Mayor Jerry Gist’s crime task force. The rule would require most petowners to buy a $200 breeding permit if they do not have their animals surgically altered to prevent reproduction. The ordinance would have at least a portion of those fees filtered into payingfor a low-cost spay and neuter program. “It’s not an on-the-spot exam or something?” Councilman Ernest Brooks II asked when council members discussed enforcing the newrule. “You can only do that with the males,” said one woman. In discussing the need for the spay and neuter rule, another woman proclaimed: “One of the things the dogshave learned to do is how to get it done through the fence.” “Oh,” Brooks responded. “I’ve got a vivid picture now.” For additional article, click here. UPDATE: (10/28/09) –SPAY NEUTER RULE STANDS WHILE PET LIMIT FALLS (2 PAGES AT LINK) …A final meeting between the City Council and city officials on a proposed animal controlordinance ended Tuesday with the elimination of a firm limit of how many pets Jackson residents canown, and the retention of a mandatory spay-neuter rule that could derail approval of the new law. Councilman Ernest Brooks II, the only council member to actively speak at the meeting,drew plenty of frustration from the law's supporters. He told Vicki Lake, the crime task force's chairwoman, that he is opposed to the mandatory spay and neuter rule, which would require thatmost animals older than six months undergo surgery to prevent breeding. Lake offered to bring down a fee pet owners must pay if they do not have their animal spayed or neutered from$200 to as low as $75, but Brooks did not budge. Brooks declined to discuss during the meeting how he reached his position. But after the meeting he said that he thinks the rule could putundue financialstrain on Jackson residents during a tough recession. It also might not be wise for the city to shoulder the increased spending to enforce the rules as it grapples with its ownfinancial cutbacks, he said. He said he is also concerned about the potential of certain breeds being unfairly targeted for enforcement of the spay and neuter rule. Lake refused to pull the rulefrom the ordinance. "That's the crux of it," she said.Memphis (10/27/09) - Starving, thirsty and sometimes ailing, more than 200 dogs and cats were in the care of volunteers Tuesday after law enforcement officers raided the City of MemphisAnimal Shelter. Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies executed a search warrant at the shelter, 3456 Tchulahoma, after a tipster complained about abuse and cruelty to the Shelby County DistrictAttorney General’s Office. “From what we’ve seen this morning, it’s evident there’s been some neglect,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell, who said he’d been told of deficiencies instaff training. Ten shelter employees and city Animal Services administrator Ernest Alexander were relieved of duty as the investigation continued, and Dist. Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons saidcriminal charges were possible.Washington County – (10/30/09) - The Washington County-Johnson City Animal Control Center is pushing for a new law that would require animals over the age of six months to be spayedor neutered. Under the proposed ordinance, pet owners who choose not to spay or neuter their animals would have to obtain a permit to have an unaltered animal.TEXASHouston – (10/14/09)- The following item was on City Council's Agenda today:"ORDINANCE amending Ordinance No. 2004-0808 to increase the maximum contract amount; approving and authorizing second amendment to contract between the City of Houston andPETDATA, INC for Animal Licensing Services for Houston Department of Health & Human Services - $380,000.00 - General Fund" I'm sure that this is a followup to the letter that Houstonveterinarians have recently received informing them that the city is going to "deputize" them to enforce pet licensing laws. (Click here to read) However, enforcement of pet licensing lawshas proven to be a waste of money in other cities and can cause kill rates to rise. The reason is that responsible people are going to be responsible WITHOUT laws. Irresponsible people willremain irresponsible and still will not license their pets no matter how many laws are passed. And when irresponsible people are faced with fines for not having licenses or being over the petlimit, they will DUMP the pet. (read more at the link) UPDATE: (10/21/09) - The above ordinance was passed by the Mayor and City Council this morning. It is very disappointing that ourcity leaders continue to spend our tax dollars on programs/laws that will NOT save lives, especially when our city claims to have a several million dollar shortfall. This $380,000 could havebeen used on so many programs that would save lives and we would see the benefits almost immediately. Our vet bills are going to go up because vets will, most likely, be forced to hireadditional staff to process the extra paperwork they are now required to handle. This again PUNISHES the very people that BARC needs, people who adopt and care for animals. (For full