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

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The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 288 of 3307/5/2010city strengthened its animal protection laws recently, becoming one of a few cities in the country to require microchips for pets, but it stopped short of banning the chaining of dogs becauseofficials said they didn't want to burden residents financially.UTAH - 2009 General Session opens Jan. 26, 2009No Report for UtahVERMONTNo report for VermontVIRGINIA - 2009 Regular Session convened Jan 14, 2009There is a registry in the U.S. for sex offenders. One can search a database to see if there is an offender in your area. The registry has met with a great dealof controversy. In Virginia, there is an additional controversial registry: A dangerous dog database and you can search to see if a dangerous dog lives near you. Tosearch a city or county in Virginia visit the Dangerous Dog Registry with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Are you on it?HB1951 - Dangerous Dog Registry; authorizes use of copies of allrecords, etc., associated therewith.HB2321 - Dangerous dog; court may order owner to pay to any injuredperson costs of medical care.HB2097 - Animal shelters and pounds; administration of certain medications.HB2263 - Oversight of animal control officers.HB2364 - Dangerous or vicious dog; court may order owner to payrestitution for damages to injured person.HB2377 - Animals as prizes and gifts.HB2381 - Protective orders; companion animals and livestock.HB2393 - Animal control officers deemed law-enforcement officers.HJ 661 - Feral cats; Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services to conveneworkgroup to address issues.SB897 - A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.2-6546 of the Code of Virginia, relating to companion animalsReferred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural ResourcesSB931 - A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.2-6566 of the Code of Virginia, relating to animal cruelty Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, (dubbed VA'sACO's "get out of jail free" card) - Each animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian's representative shall interfere to prevent the perpetration of any actof cruelty upon any animal in his presence and shall enjoy the protection of the Commonwealth's sovereign immunity for those actions taken in good faith and withreasonable cause. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct or resist any animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian's representative in thedischarge of his rights, powers, and duties as authorized and prescribed by law is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.SB950 - A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.2-6540 of the Code of Virginia, relating to dangerous and vicious dogs.Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural ResourcesSB1151 - Companion animals; releasing agencies.Martinsville - (12/17/08) - Henry County officials will extensively revise the county’s noisecontrol ordinance, in part to control barking dogs. Two proposed ordinances prepared by County Attorney George Lyle were rejected by the Henry County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.One couldhave resulted in dogs that bark excessively being euthanized. Instead, the supervisors unanimously voted to have Lyle revise the existing ordinance so it will pertain to many types ofextremely loudnoises.Rocky Mount - (1/5/09) - Rocky Mount Town Councilman John Lester has proposed that the town look into the possibility of adopting a dog leash law. Lester told town council recently thatthe town may need a leash law. Rocky Mount does not have a leash law for dogs.Virginia Beach - (1/6/09) - The new year brought newer and tougher laws to protect animals. Breeders and sellers are accountable for the animals in their care. The law is designed to crackdown on puppy mills. The law took effect January 1. It limits the number of animals a person can have and breed to 30 females. It limits the ages for breeding – between 18 months and eightyears. It also requires animals be kept in floored cages, mandates an exercise regimen and veterinary care. Large commercial dog breeding operations must get a business license and submitto inspections by local animal control officers. Those operations now must meet strict record-keeping requirements.WASHINGTON - 2009 Legislature Session convened Jan 12, 2009Bellingham- (1/12/09) - A public hearing to discuss a proposed animal control ordinance and the restructuring of animal license fees, originally scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13,has been postponed. The new date for the public hearing has not been set. The proposed ordinance would restructure license fees and create new permit fees for kennel ownersand "animal enthusiasts," or those who own more than four dogs or cats, said Penny Cistaro, executive director of the Whatcom Humane Society. Kennel owners currently pay aflat fee of $65 for a kennel license. If the ordinance passes, kennel owners, or those who own more than 10 dogs or cats, would pay $125 to $200 for a permit fee and an $11 or$21 license fee per animal depending on whether the animal is spayed or neutered, Cistaro said. Under the ordinance, those with between five and 10 cats and/or dogs wouldpay a $65 permit fee plus the $11 or $21 license fee per animal. The ordinance also would allow animal control to inspect facilities prior to issuing a permit to make sure theyare structurally sound, provide sanitary conditions and are compatible with the number of animals living there, Cistaro said.Moses Lake - City Council took no action when asked to reconsider the hazardous dog ordinance. The city council recently adopted an ordinance declaring pit bulls, rottweilers and presacanarios as hazardous dogs. To own a hazardous dog, pet owners must obtain a $250,000 insurance policy for the animal in case it harms someone, it must be spayed or neutered, have amicrochip installed, be confined to an enclosed structure and costs $150 to register with the city. A hazardous dog can also include any individual dog of any breed that habitually bites,attacks and threatens another human or animal on public property.
The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 289 of 3307/5/2010Vancouver - Town Hall meeting (Saturday, January 10) with State Representatives for the 49th Legislative District to ask that they pass a law to outlaw dog chaining and tethering. Thispropoasal backed by HSUS.WEST VIRGINIA - 2009 Legislative Session begins Feb. 11, 2009No Report for West VirginiaWISCONSINBarron County - (1/9/09) - The full Barron County Board of Supervisors will decide later this month whether to approve a newly crafted contract with the local Humane Society chapter foranimal control services. The new proposal cuts plans for a county-funded addition to the animal shelter and instead asks for an annual contribution from the county for the cause.At Tuesday's executive committee meeting, Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said that the county's legal counsel had reviewed, modified and given their approval toward the potential contract. TheHumane Society of Barron County's governing board has not considered the amended document yet officially, but talks between the county and Humane Society members have indicated thatthe changes would be found acceptable.The executive committee approved the tentative contract Tuesday and will recommend its adoption by the full county board at the regular Januarymeeting. The law enforcement committee had given its approval of the proposal last week. The latest proposal version also includes added protection for the Humane Society's interests,Fitzgerald said. Added was a stipulation exempting the shelter from bearing full responsibility for housing animals if more than 15 are surrendered at one time. In this rare case, the countywould be required to help care for and place the animals. When a mass seizure takes place, any animals deemed adoptable and in need of care will incur a $7 per day fee (with a 1 weekmaximum) that the county must pay the Humane Society for. Unsociable or ill animals taken in such a seizure would be euthanized at a charge of $15 per animal to the county. Fitzgeraldadded that the mass surrender scenario might happen once a year and would likely involve criminal charges being filed. The county may then be able to recoup costs through restitution.UPDATE: (1/19/09) - At Monday evening's Barron County Board of Supervisors meeting, the long-anticipated animal control contract between the county and the local Humane Society officepassed. For several years, Barron County officials and others have been trying to devise a way to address stray animal problems in a uniform and efficient way. The board's approval of a 1-yearcontract with the Humane Society of Barron County is the culmination of these efforts.Green Bay - (1/15/09) - Green Bay ordinance forbids dogs from all city parks, but Alderman Dan Piton wants to allow leashed dogs in a few parts of some parks. The City Councilwill consider the issue when it meets at 7 p.m. today in the council chambers of City Hall, 100 N. Jefferson St., Green Bay.New Berlin - Alderman Moore says the Safety Commission chose not to have BSL Wednesday evening (12/17/08)Oshkosh - (12/15/08) - Discussions are in the works over the possibility of requiring owners of pit bulls, and other breeds, to meet specific guidelines. Paul Spiegel, the city of Oshkosh’sHealth Department Director, has been working with other city staff members on the wording of a draft ordinance for the breed-specific legislation, which would require owners of therestricted breeds to obtain a special license or provide proof that their dog passed the American Kennel Club’s “Good Citizen Program,” according to a memo from city manager Mark Rohloff.The specified breeds could also be required to be spayed and neutered before being allowed to live in the city, according to the memo. The draft ordinance has been revised and reviewedseveral times and sent to various veterinarians, animal behaviorists and owners of pet stores, grooming shops and kennels in the city for feedback, according to the memo. Once feedback isprovided, a work group consisting of city staff members will reconvene to review and make any necessary revisions to the draft ordinance. Spiegel is expected to present workshop to theOshkosh Common Council at some point on the breed-specific legislation, said Mayor Frank Tower. UPDATE: (12/21/08) - The Oshkosh Kennel Club last week came out in opposition toproposed city rules regulating pit bull terriers and related breeds. Steve Eichman, president of the Oshkosh Kennel Club said he is not comfortable with the city's idea of using the club's GoodCitizen class as a measure of whether pit bulls and other breeds could be exempt from the requirement for a special $100 license. And club members are unhappy that city officials chose theclass, which only lasts for 15 or 20 minutes, as a test for the exemption without first consulting with the club. Eichman said the level of a dog's aggression cannot be determined in the 15 to 20minute Good Citizen class, which consists of approximately 15 short tests for the dog. UPDATE: (1/4/09) - Proposed changes to the city's animal ordinances, in addition to controversialnew rules on pit bulls and related breeds, could mean owners would be required to spay or neuter their pets, would not be allowed to bring animals into taverns and could mean morestringent requirements on pets considered to be dangerous. One change could require owners to spay or neuter their pets as a way to reduce the amount of stray pets and unwanted animals,cats in particular, in the city, Spiegel said. "That is a proposal and I'm not sure if that will go completely as proposed," Spiegel said. "The humane society suggested the change.West Allis - is considering a plan to ban vicious dogs. Mayor Dan Devine says the new ordinance would eliminate the problem, but not discriminate against a particular type of dog. Theproposal has a long list of behaviors that would make a dog considered 'vicious' including growling. The plan will be discussed at a meeting next Tuesday (12/30/08).WYOMING - 2009 General Session Convened January 13, 2009 at NoonHB0011Dogs chasing wildlife.Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife andCultural Resources Interim CommitteeA BILL for AN ACT relating to game and fish; modifying penalties forowners of dogs injuring or threatening big game animals; modifying elements of the offense; and providing for an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature ofthe State of Wyoming: Section 1. W.S. 23-3-109(c) is amended to read: 23-3-109. Use of dogs; dogs injuring big or trophy game animals may be killed; citation ofowners of dogs harassing game animals; penalties.
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