[ SHOWGSD-L ] City Council to take up pet policy, MSN (Tacoma)
- From: "Ginger Cleary" <cleary1414@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Showgsd-L@Freelists. Org" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:41:48 -0400
Ginger Cleary,Rome, GA ww.rihadin.com <http://www.rihadin.com>
The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human
hands, will ever be liable to abuse. ? James Madison
Member GSDCA
Member Sawnee Mtn Kennel Club
GA Director Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States.
-----Original Message-----
MELISSA SANTOS; The News Tribune
Published: July 21st, 2007 01:00 AM
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/115246.html
The city and some members of the local pet-breeding community have
reached a compromise.
The new proposal would apply only to pets that arenâ??t licensed as
unaltered animals. The previous version would have required any dog or
cat caught by animal control officers to be sterilized before its
owner could take it home, even if it was a purebred or a show dog.
Members of the councilâ??s Public Safety and Human Services committee
say theyâ??re ready for the full City Council to vote on the new approach.
Right now, an animal gets a mandatory spaying or neutering only if
picked up by animal control more than once in a given year.
Councilwoman Julie Anderson said the revised ordinance would help curb
animal overpopulation in the city without hurting breeders or owners
who properly license their dogs.
â??Accidents happen, and we could see a professional breeder have a
properly licensed dog that gets out,â?? Anderson said. â??If it happens
twice and three times, weâ??re concerned that theyâ??re not a responsible
owner.â??
The council is still considering whether to revoke peopleâ??s pet
ownership privileges if they violate animal control laws more than
three times during a two-year period. Under that proposal, a person
could be labeled a â??problem ownerâ?? if he or she has unlicensed animals
that repeatedly endanger or attack people.
Some breeders said the new draft of the ordinance is a good compromise.
Frederickson resident Lennaea Gedsell said she feels much more
comfortable knowing her purebred Brittany spaniels wonâ??t be spayed or
neutered the first time they might escape from her yard.
â??They had to lighten up,â?? Gedsell said. â??Granted there are
irresponsible breeders. But everyone has an accident now and then, too.â??
The Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County is wholly in favor of
the proposed change, said spokesman Tom Sayre.
Pierce County has the worst animal overpopulation problem in the
state, causing the local shelter to euthanize 1,671 healthy dogs and
cats in 2006 because there were no homes for them, Sayre said.
Animal overpopulation in Tacoma has also led to an increase in dog
fights and human-animal conflicts, said Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg,
who leads the committee thatâ??s reviewing the changes.
Thatâ??s why the council is now focusing on unlicensed animals that get
loose and might breed indiscriminately, she said.
â??This is directed toward dogs that are particularly dangerous, get out
of their yards often or engage in what we are calling â??backyard
breeding,â??â?? Ladenburg said.
The changes should come up for a vote before the full council in
September. Anderson said sheâ??s hopeful the ordinance will go into
effect by Oct. 1.
A public hearing will not be held for this revised version, but
Anderson said people can come speak during the regular public comment
period when the issue is on the council agenda.
Anderson said she doesnâ??t expect that the council will make many more
changes. Members have been discussing the animal control code since
October.
â??I think weâ??ve vetted this very thoroughly,â?? she said. â??Weâ??re
pretty
well talked out.â??
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