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 328 of 3307/5/2010The plan requires cat owners to license their pets. People who have multiple animals would also have to get a special permit. Animal control officers tell us for breeders, this law would allowofficers to come into your home or property and inspect it for sanitation and safety. Monday’s meeting begins at 5:30 pm at Spartanburg City Council Chambers on 145 West Broad Street.Read the complete ordinance in pdf form here. UPDATE: (9/15/08) - The proposal has been altered significantly to reflect the desires of the people, and plenty of time has been allowedfor various and sundry arguments to be brought to light. The tethering restriction is not in the ordinance that was approved on first reading. The changes first brought before council alsoincluded steep increases in pet licensing fees, up to $10 annually for spayed animals and $40 each year for fertile animals. The current version does not include the increase. Cat owners arenow required to license their pets and provide proof of vaccination to the city. Owners of six or more cats or dogs aged four months or older must obtain a multiple-animal permit, and codeenforcement officers can inspect such owners' homes, upon 24 hours notice, if they receive complaints. Council will vote on second and final reading of this ordinance Sept. 22,and at that same meeting, before the vote is taken, the public will be given one more chance to comment.Rock Hill - (9/14/08) - In the coming weeks, the county plans to hold a workshop where staff members will outline plans for updating the county's animal policies, which they say areoutdated because of the county's explosive growth. No specific changes have been recommended, but officials expect to analyze everything from vaccination requirements to animal controlfees. They also plan to look at a tethering policy. Leaders plan to look at what other growing counties have done, while trying to gauge their future needs.York County - (8/19/08) - Monday night, (8/18/08) the York County Council heard a presentation from animal rights activists pushing to strengthen laws against animal abuse and neglect.Several animal rights groups joined together to encourage council leaders to ban dog tethering. They're pointing out similar laws from other counties where chaining dogs is now illegal. YorkCounty Council members were presented with a plan to ban dog tethering and require dog owners to build a fence, a kennel or install a runner line that allows dogs more freedom andmovement. Council chairman Buddy Motz said it's a complex, often passionate issue, but there's good points on both sides of it. "We're getting a lot of e-mails, correspondence and datasaying that you should tether dogs, and some that you should not tether dogs," Motz said.SOUTH DAKOTABrookings - (9/13/08) - Brookings city councilors have decided that citizens here cannot keep more than six pets in their residences at one time. Its creators say the pet limit is a new tool tohelp authorities deal with animal-related complaints approved by city councilors on Tuesday. The recently passed Ordinance No. 32-08 makes it unlawful for any person or caretaker to haveor keep more than six domestic pets over the age of 4 months (except birds and fish) on any lot or premises in the city. The number of animals within households would be evaluated on a bycomplaintbasis. The new ordinance will be helpful when city officials get complaints about barking dogs or a strong smell of animal feces at a residence. Another complaint the departmenthas dealt with is a high number of "at-large" cats in one neighborhood , allowed to roam free, defecate in sandboxes, yards and gardens and get into garbage cans. The new ordinance also: -Makes it an offense to keep stray animals - Makes it an offense to leave pets unattended in vehicle in a manner that endangers the health of the animal - Makes it a requirement for animals invehicles that are parked in public areas to be confined to the vehicle. The ordinance includes a new section that deals with vicious or biting dogs. Once a pet has been declared a biting,dangerous or vicious animal by officials, the owner will have to register it with the city as such and follow certain regulations, like reporting how and where it's kept and its health andownership status.Sturgis - City Council will address pitbills at a future meeting. Sturgis resident Russell Keeton is urging members to approve an ordinance that would help to protect citizens from pit bulls.Keeton feels the city should require pit bull owners to register the animals, keep liability insurance on them, and keep the animals restrained at all times. City Manager David Boone said anordinance has been prepared and will be presented for the council's consideration during the Sept. 15 regular city council meeting. UPDATE: (9/12/08) - According to Sturgis’ top policeofficer, an ordinance the Sturgis City Council will address on Monday is not an attempt to completely ban pit bulls from Sturgis streets. Instead, Sturgis Police Chief Jim Bush said theordinance will protect not only the community’s residents, but the dogs themselves. The Sturgis City Council meets at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15. ***SPECIAL ALERT sent 9/15/08***TEXASEdinburg - Hidalgo County - (9/13/08) - Pitbulls and their vicious attacks have become a "serious problem" in Hidalgo County. Justice of the Peace Charlie Espinoza said he believes thegovernment needs further control over pit bulls so they cannot attack innocent bystanders or children."I would like to get some kind of serious ordinance or legislation or anything we mightget," he told the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. Espinoza said he and other county leaders, together with other justices of the peace, would sit down in the coming weeks toconsider drafting a resolution to lobby the state to impose even greater restrictions on pit bulls and vicious dogs.Henderson - Rusk County - (8/20/08) - Rusk County Judge Sandra Hodges said the county does have the authority to create a leash law for county subdivisions and unincorporatedcommunities. Hodges spoke Monday night ((8/18/08) to a group of about 50 residents — many from the Elderville subdivisions of Airport Gardens and Ranchette — who packed the countycommissioners' courtroom to voice their opinions about a county leash law. Hodges said residents from affected communities can petition county commissioners for a leash law in their area.Fines and specific provisions for the leash law have not been developed, but Hodges said a committee is being formed to consider a law in the Airport Gardens and Ranchette community.Killeen - (8/20/08) - Animal control has been a hot topic for the city in recent months, and the item will be on the agenda once again at the council's workshop today. Members of the KilleenCity Council are scheduled for a busy day as three committees are scheduled to meet throughout today in addition to the 5 p.m. council workshop. The city's animal control ordinance is on theagenda. In addition to the animal control ordinance, the council will be discussing a request to be removed from Killeen's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Councilman Larry Cole said thecity is anxiously looking for a workable solution. "The vicious dogs – we've got to find a solution to that. "We're getting weekly complaints from citizens that they can't walk theirneighborhood without getting accosted by some large dog. We have to find a way to make the owners more accountable."San Angelo - (8/20/08) - The San Angelo City Council has decided that now is not the time to decide whether City Hall should regulate how many dogs an owner can keep. The proposedordinance called for limiting owners to no more than six dogs, prohibiting animal rescuers from taking in more than nine dogs and requiring owners whose dogs have puppies to find newowners within 12 weeks. After listening to the residents, District 6 Councilwoman Charlotte Farmer withdrew her earlier motion to approve the proposed ordinance. Instead, she requestedthe animal services board look into other ordinances that require spaying or neutering pets and having people register as breeders if their animals reproduce. She kept the option of limitingthe number of dogs open.UTAHNo ReportVERMONTClarendon - (9/1/08) - Officials recently spent more than two hours at a workshop reviewing and amending a draft ordinance for the control of nuisance domestic animals. Health andsafety issues, property damage and nuisance claims are among neighbors' concerns. The town has decided to use Mendon's animal control ordinance as a guide with some amendments. Theboard is expected to further review the document at an upcoming meeting.VIRGINIAHampton - City Council considers permits for "hybrids". The ordinance would require the owner of a hybrid canine to apply for a special permit. A hybrid is a crossbreed of a dog and any
The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 329 of 3307/5/2010other canine species, such as a wolf. The proposal, which will be discussed at Wednesday's Hampton City Council meeting (09/09/08) , would limit residents to owning no more than twohybrid dogs at any time. Each dog would be required to have a separate permit. In addition, the animal would have to be muzzled and kept under control of a "competent adult handler, on aleash, rope or chain whenever it is not on the property of its owner," according to city documents. ***Special Alert sent 09/06/08 ***WASHINGTONBingen - (8/21/08) - Considering banning pit bulls. Public hearing September 2, 2008.Seattle - (9/8/08) - Rumblings of a Seattle-wide ban on pit bulls have "bully breed" owners preparing for a political dogfight. Anti-pit bull activists in Seattle floated a package of proposals,including a breed ban, to City Councilman Tim Burgess earlier this year. The council opted not to pursue the proposal for now, but the action has sparked an organizing effort by dog ownersconcerned that the city will move against the much-maligned breed. The proposal would force pit bull owners to register their dogs and ban new pit bulls from the city. Similar bans have beenenacted in other Western Washington cities, including Enumclaw, in an effort to reduce dog attacks. Responding to the effort, a handful of pit bull owners have created an interest group oftheir own, Families Against Breed Bans, and are sponsoring events aimed at defeating any future ban.Spokane - (9/11/08) - A group of concerned citizens are pushing for a Spokane city ordinance banning pit bulls from Spokane. There has been a lot of controversy and reaction, but wouldbanning pit bulls even make a difference? Spokane's city council says it's researching state law and city code before making any decision. A group is also circulating a petition around townagainst the ban.WEST VIRGINIACharles Town - Mayor Peggy Smith told Charles Town City Council members Tuesday night (09/02/08) a law prohibiting dangerous and vicious animals but the law has weaknesses,including a lack of penalties for keeping such animals. Smith wants the council’s ordinance review committee will review the vicious dog law.Martinsville - (8/9/08) - Martinsville City Council heard concerns from Southside area residents about dogs during a community meeting Tuesday evening. Residents are concerned withanimal issues and dogs getting loose in the neighborhood and a problem with people chaining dogs in their backyards. Residents stated that they bark more and get meaner when they arechained up. A request was also made for the city to require pets to be spayed or neutered to cut down on animal overpopulation. City Attorney Eric Monday said he is not sure if the city haslegislative authority for a spay/neuter ordinance. He also said there is a limit on how many dogs a person is allowed to have adjacent to a residential structure in the city. Monday was not sureof the number at the meeting but will be looking into it. Council member Gene Teague wants council to look at the issue of dogs because four pit bulls seems like a lot and some houses havemore then that in their yards. Another request was made to enact a limit on the number of vicious dogs or make owners carry a certain amount of liability insurance. Monday said the GeneralAssembly has consistently declined to declare specific breeds of dogs as vicious and a dog essentially has to attack somebody before it's considered vicious. Another resident added that catsare a problem in the neighborhood. Another comment was made regarding dogs keeping residents awake at night with their barking and also asked what could be done about the odor fromdogs.WISCONSINBaraboo - Council considers revising pet policy whether local residents should be able to have more than two dogs or two cats sparked a Baraboo committee's appeal for public comments onthe issue. Sauk County Humane Society Animal Control Officer Justin Huelsemann suggested allowing a maximum of four animals per household, with any combination of dogs and cats.Chairman Gene Robkin encouraged the public to send comments to city officials so the committee can look them over and continue discussion about changing the rules at a later meeting.Clintonville - (9/11/08) - Residents making a stink about messy dog-walkers will get help from the local police. The Common Council picked up on the subject at this week's meeting in theWaupaca County community. It's illegal to walk a dog in the city and not pick up after the pet. Anyone seeing someone not cleaning up after their dog was asked to report it to the policedepartment. According to the city ordinance, a warning is issued for a first violation. After that, a violation carries a fine of $109.WYOMINGNo ReportOTHER COUNTRIES OF INTERESTAUSTRALIA(8/24/08) - THE State Government is pressing racing authorities to stop the industry from killing thousands of greyhounds and racehorses deemed too slow or too old to race.Racing Minister Rob Hulls told The Sunday Age he expected the industry to focus on animal welfare after a report by retired County Court judge Gordon Lewis raised concerns abouttreatment of unwanted horses and greyhounds. Judge Lewis believed the issue was so important he went outside the terms of reference in his inquiry into the integrity of the state's threeracing codes to condemn the practice of culling animals that could not win races.The judge estimated that of the more than 7500 greyhounds born each year in Victoria, only 1000 would not be destroyed as young dogs. Most would be put down because they were too slowto race. He had no doubt "similar problems exist with the welfare of horses". Judge Lewis called for further investigation.Wollongong - (9/10/08) - Sumo the Alaskan malamute attacked and killed a free-range chook but his owner does not believe it makes him a danger to the community. Figtree's WalterDuran is set to fight for his dog's reputation by appealing a Wollongong City Council decision to categorise him a dangerous dog. "He did wrong but it wasn't serious enough to put him in amuzzle - that would kill him," Mr Duran said. He pleaded guilty in Wollongong Local Court yesterday to being an owner of a dog which attacked another animal. It was alleged Sumo on April24 this year got out of his yard and attacked and killed a chicken in the yard in Mary Ave, Figtree. The chicken owner restrained the dog to a tree until Mr Duran arrived, the court heard.Since the attack, Sumo has been declared a dangerous dog, which imposes a number of conditions on ownership, including the need to muzzle the dog in public and house the dog in a metalenclosure in the back yard. Magistrate Paul Johnson fined Mr Duran $100 considerably less than the $550 local government fine. Mr Duran was happy with the result but still wants to appealthe dangerous dog classification. "I admitted in court that Sumo did the deed, but he has never touched a human and gets on great with kids," Mr Duran said. "I think the classification is anover-reaction.BAHRAIN(8/21/08) - AUTHORITIES have admitted they are powerless to stop exotic pets being smuggled into Bahrain until the country's animal trade laws are overhauled. Wild animals such ascheetahs are being illegally brought into the country, where animal rights activists say they are exploited and subjected to horrific conditions. Sources have claimed some smugglers hide
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