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The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 308 of 3307/5/2010Grove City Hall at 660-834-3551 or the police department at 660-834-4300.Springfield - City Council backed down from recent attempts to pass a city law where dogs who may become pregnant would require a permit and to have a litter would be assessed anadditional fee of $100.00.MONTANANo report for MontanaNEBRASKAOmaha - (10/13/08) -City leaders called the package comprehensive; a new set of laws to track down and punish irresponsible dog owners, while at the same time keeping the public safe.But days before most of the changes take effect, many people still have a lot of questions and concerns. Starting Wednesday, the Nebraska Humane Society will have the power to takesomeone's pets away if they violate city code three times in two years. Owners of dogs designated "potentially dangerous" will also have lots of new rules to follow. Owners will also no longerbe allowed to tie their dogs up outside alone for more than 15 minutes.The most controversial change is still the muzzle requirement for pit bulls and other bully breeds, though that lawdoesn't go into effect until January. To see a list of the new ordinances and how they could affect you, visit http://www.nehumanesociety.org UPDATE: (10/15/08)- The city's new dogordinance kicked in Wednesday and someone was already busted.The Humane Society captured a pitbull who broke free from his chain.It's owner was not home when it broke free and willbe fined. It didn't take Action 3 News long to find a dog and two pitbulls tied up in a back yard with no fence. This time their owner was home. The law says the dogs can't be tied up longerthan 15 minutes by themselves. "I don't think it's fair. My dogs will stay on the leash," said Wendy Dennis. "They can give me a ticket. I'll pay the fine, but my dogs aren't coming inside. Theyare staying out of my house!" Those cited can face up to a $500 fine or 6 months in jail. On October 22nd at 6:30, the Humane Society is hosting a question and answer session with thecommunity dealing with the new ordinance.Omaha - (11/15/08) -After a series of dog attacks, the Omaha City Council in September approved restrictions for pit bulls and dogs that display aggressive behavior. Most of the rules forpit bulls don't take effect until January, while the dangerous dog rules went into effect last month. Sadie, a 3-year-old pit bull and black lab mix, passed a 10-step behavioral test administeredby the Nebraska Humane Society. The test included meeting a group of strangers, dealing with a loud noise and taking commands. The behavioral test costs $50 and must be taken annually,said Pam Wiese, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society. There also is a one-time $25 filing fee. Owners whose dogs fail the test can retake it once for free. Sadie will receive a special "breedambassador'' vest telling residents that she passed the test and doesn't have to be muzzled. She will get the vest later this month after Fruge attends a class for responsible pet ownership. Theclass costs $10 and has to be taken only once. Owners still need to leash and harness their pit bulls in public. Owners also must obtain $100,000 in liability insurance. Pit bull owners maycall 444-7800, extension 220, to setup a good behavior test.Sarpy County - declines dog law changes (10/15/08). Officials are watching Omaha's dangerous dog ordinance before it decides if it will tackle its own dangerous dog ordinanceNEVADAClark County - (11/14/08) - Clark County animal control proponents want a law requiring pet owners to spay or neuter their cats and dogs and fines for those who fail to do so. Followingon the heels of a law to sterilize feral cats, the County Commission soon will be asked to pass a law that would prohibit residents of unincorporated Clark County from owning a dog or cat thathasn't been sterilized unless the owner has a pet fancier permit or has a medical exemption from a veterinarian. If a litter is born without this permit, animal control would take the puppies orkittens along with the mother. The ordinance also would require spaying or neutering as young as 3 months old. The Silver State Kennel Club, a member of the American Kennel Club, iscirculating a petition to stop the proposal because the animals could be at risk for a variety of health problems when sterilized that young.NEW HAMPSHIRENo report for New HampshireNEW JERSEYAllentown - (10/23/08) - Pet owners in the borough must make sure their dogs and cats are licensed or face stiff penalties if ordinances introduced at the Oct. 15 council meeting areapproved later this month. According to the proposed ordinances, if a dog or cat is not licensed and registered by June 15 of each year, then a summons shall be issued to the owner for eachviolation. The summons, signed by the borough's police department, would also go on file with the municipal court. A public hearing on the ordinances will be held at during the Oct. 28Borough Council meeting, which will start at 7 p.m. in the Borough Hall.Freehold - (update 10/29/08) Borough Council approves restricting the number of animals in one residence to five dogs and/or cats over the age of 2 months in any combination in orupon any residential or commercial property.NEW MEXICOBernalillo County - (10/17/08) - It's been fifteen months in the making, but Bernalillo County is finally ready to overhaul its animal control ordinance. The regulations, up for adoption inmid-November, would expand the language defining animal cruelty, offer a reduced license fee for pet owners who get their animals spayed or neutered and ban chaining of dogs -- unless theleash is on a trolley system. But critics say the new ordinance doesn't go far enough. It's less stringent, for example, than what the city of Albuquerque requires. The county has held eightpublic meetings since June last year and substantially revised the ordinance to reflect public comment. County commissioners will consider adopting the ordinance next month. Summary:Expands language for animal cruelty, allowing people to be cited for basic acts of negligence or failure to provide emergency care. Bans "direct-point" chaining, but allows dogs to be chainedto a trolley or tether system. (The city allows chaining for only an hour a day.) Requires pets to have permanent identification, such as a microchip, tattoo or collar with ID tag. Makes nochanges for "backyard breeders" who sell animals, except that they can't sell the pets from a Wal-Mart or similar location. Violating the ordinance can result in a fine of up to $300 and/or 90days in jail. Applies primarily to companion animals, such as dogs and cats, in unincorporated Bernalillo County.Clovis - The nine-member task force came up with recommendations during its Sept. 10 meeting that included implementing a pet-licensing program, spay and neutering requirements andchanging the city's method of euthanasia to lethal injection. Governor Richardson has agreed to give Clovis $100,000 over two years if the city switches to lethal injection. Task force memberChase Gentry will present to the city commission a recommendation to implement a pet registration program. The revenue generated from the proposed $5 and $10 licensing fees would helpfund the animal shelter's transition as wellTorrance County - (11/3/08) - Torrance County Commission is proposing new dog ordinances which can be read here. It is 21 pages and includes tethering, permitting, intact animals,dangerous dogs, animal limits per acre, breeding permit (one litter per year) and animal cruelty to include "working" animals. Torrance County Commission is required to hold one publichearingbefore adopting any proposed ordinance. That public meeting will be on December 10th at 9 AM. You can go to the Torrance County web site for contact information by clickingHERE.NEW YORKGloversville - (10/29/08) -The Common Council will work with a local animal organization to revise Councilwoman Ellen Anadio's proposed cat registration law, the council decidedTuesday. Anadio's proposal would require every pet cat in the city to be registered, for a fee. It would establish a limit of four cats per household and give the city's animal control officer theauthority to capture stray cats.NORTH CAROLINAMcDowell - (10/18/08) -County officials will take another look at the animal control ordinance for McDowell. When they are done, more rules could be in place that would better protectanimals from cruelty and mistreatment. At the regular Monday meeting, the McDowell County Commissioners agreed to ask the county's Planning Board to review the existing animal controlordinance, which was adopted in 1999. The existing ordinance covers how animals can be adopted at the shelter. The commissioners agreed to let the Planning Board review the animal
The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 309 of 3307/5/2010ordinance and come back later with a recommendation. The Planning Board will next meet on Monday, Oct. 20. UPDATE: (10/21/08) - Local advocates for animals have drafted an animalcontrol ordinance for the county. The draft was presented to the County Commission this month. The commissioners referred it to their planning board, who will meet next week.Orange County - (11/9/08) - The Orange County commissioners are ready to limit how long you can tie up your dog. The board voted 4-1 Thursday night to limit tethering to three hours ina 24-hour period. The change in the county's animal control ordinance will have to be voted on again Nov. 18 because it was not unanimous. After two years of debate, the issue appearsalmost over. More than a dozen supporters cheered and applauded the vote. A group of opponents sat silently. "Orange County is clearly ready to change," said Suzanne Roy of the Coalition toUnchain Dogs, linking the vote to Barack Obama's victory two nights earlier. "It's the right thing to do and the right time to do it," she said. View the revised ordinance here.NORTH DAKOTANo report for North DakotaOHIOAvon Lake - (11/13/08) - City Council is reviewing an ordinance to allow only breed specific dogs to live in the community. The possible change would prohibit vicious dogs such as pit bullsfrom being owned by residents, according to Mayor Karl Zuber. A safety committee meeting will be held to discuss the issue in more detail.Muskingum County - (11/3/08) - Two upcoming meetings will be of interest to area livestock producers. The first will be an informational meeting on Ohio Dog Laws at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov.13, at Pleasant Grove UMC east of Zanesville. There are occasionally incidents between dogs and livestock. In particular, shepherds cite loose dogs as one of their biggest obstacles in raisingsheep. The resource person for the program will be Nan Still, Director of Agricultural Law for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. The dog law program is sponsored by OSU Extension andMuskingum County Farm Bureau. The meeting is open to the public. Reservations are not required. The second meeting will be on livestock mortality composting. This program will teach howto dispose of dead livestock in a safe, odor-free and economical manner. In order to be legally certified to compost livestock mortality, one must complete a class. This program will beoffered from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at the OSU Extension, Muskingum County Office, 225 Underwood Street in Zanesville.OKLAHOMANorman - (10/22/08) - The Animal Welfare Oversight Committee and the Norman Police Department’s animal welfare division are proposing that ordinances dealing with animal welfarebe updated and amended. Included in the proposed ordinance changes are that any feral or vicious dog or cat found running at large or impounded, because of its disposition or diseasedcondition, may be destroyed by an animal welfare officer with no waiting period. Another key provision of the amendments is prohibiting owners or person having control of a dog to allow itto “defecate upon any sidewalk, public park, street, alley or other place open to the public or on private property without the permission of the owner thereof.” Ward 7 councilmember DougCubberley asked about including cats that defecate outside in places like childrens’ sand boxes. The proposed ordinance changes would include limiting dogs to two per household if unalteredand four if spayed or neutered. Cats would be limited to three per household if not spayed or neutered and limited to five cats if altered. The amendments also would include that it’s unlawfulfor any person to leave any animal in any standing or parked vehicle without providing for adequate ventilation or allow an animal to be exposed to extreme temperature while confined in avehicle. One meeting with local veterinarians is planned to get input and two public meetings for citizen input, before the amendments come back to city councilmembers.OREGONColumbia County - Scappoose - (10/15/08) - Dog breeders, frustrated neighbors and a Scappoose pet shop owner were among those who packed a county meeting room last week to talkabout the merits and drawbacks of a new county dog kennel ordinance being considered by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. If approved, the new ordinance would label anyperson in Columbia County who has 10 or more dogs a “kennel operator” and would require them to meet the new ordinance standards for animal care and facility maintenance. The newordinance doesn’t distinguish between noncommercial and commercial like the old dog kennel ordinance and sets a flat kennel license fee for people who have 10 or more dogs at $175.Another new provision includes new rules for onsite kennel inspections, giving kennel owners a two-hour warning of inspection if a complaint of animal neglect or abuse is lodged; and 48-hours notice before a regular inspection. Under the new ordinance, kennel owners would have an additional 48 hours to correct any infractions before getting a citation.the commissionersagreed to form another task force to address land-use issues for dog kennels in the county. Other counties have strict land-use regulations for kennel operators. In Washington County, forinstance, dog kennels must be located on property larger than two acres. In Multnomah County there are setback requirements in place for dog kennels to help avoid neighbor conflicts.PENNSYLVANIACambria Township - Ebensburg - (10/16/08) - Complaints from residents in the villages of Revloc and Colver are prompting Cambria Township supervisors to tighten dog laws,especially regarding proper manners. The supervisors are adding Ebensburg Borough’s version of dog nuisance regulations to the township’s existing dog laws, which currently cover roamingand barking. The new ordinance covers more and holds dog owners responsible for sanitation.Supervisors asked Solicitor Dennis Govachini to incorporate the section in the township’sordinances. The Cambria Township supervisors said they will then hold a public hearing and receive public comment on the proposed changes.RHODE ISLANDNo report for Rhode IslandSOUTH CAROLINAClover - (11/14/08) - Several animal advocates turned out for Monday's Clover Town Council meeting, but council didn't discuss its pending vicious animal ordinance, opting to schedule aworkshop later this month to talk details. The Committee for Responsible Pet Ownership encouraged council to pass a law prohibiting tethering. The group also asked council to considerraising licensing fees for unaltered animals and giving police officers more enforcement power. The town council workshop is 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Larne Building in Clover. Workshopsare open to the public, although council does not vote at them.Greenville - (10/21/08) - When or if people can bring pets to city festivals and into its parks, especially the new City Park next to City Hall, will be considered by City Council by year's end,Mayor Rick Danner said. "My understanding is it'll be a comprehensive ordinance in regards to animals and pets in public places," Danner said. The Police Department already had drawn up aproposed ordinance.Saluda- (10/18/08) -County council took steps on Monday night to remedy recent problems with animal control. Council unanimously voted to allow county administrator SandraPadget to enter talks with other counties, cities and towns in the surrounding area to see if they could house animals the sheriff’s office removed. The county could enforce thestate’s animal control codes and remove animals, because it has no animal codes of its own and uses the state’s codes for animal control. The county, however, has a hard timeenforcing many of these codes because it doesn’t have a place to store animals.York County - (10/14/08) - This afternoon, officials will recommend toughening the county's animal policies, guidelines both leaders and animal rights groups say are outdated -- andweak. "As the county gets bigger and we become more suburban, people are expecting a level of service from us that we're not able to give them right now," said York County Animal Controlmanager Chris Peninger. "So it's a good time now to go over this thing and make some changes to (the laws) so that we can plan for the future. None of today's recommendations will be votedon, but the County Council expects to use the suggestions in updating its laws. One change county staff will suggest is empowering animal control officers who don't have the authority to writetickets for animal law violations. Along with enforcement problems, county officials will talk about a tethering policy. The workshop is open to the public and begins at 4 p.m. inside thecounty's Agricultural Building in York.SOUTH DAKOTASturgis - (10/7/08) - The Sturgis City Council on Monday unanimously passed the second and final reading of an ordinance placing stringent regulations on the owners of pit bulls withincity limits. The ordinance defines the pit bull breed and requires registration of any dog within city limits that fits the description. Pit bulls will need to be securely confined indoors, or in asecure enclosed fence, pen or kennel. When outside the approved enclosure the pit bull must be on a leash no longer than four feet and will not be allowed to be kept on the leash outside thekennel area unless the owner is in physical control of it. Owners will be required to carry $250,000 of public liability insurance, place a public sign on their property stating the breed of thedog, and provide the animal control officer with identification photographs of the dog.TENNESSEE
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