[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Port St Lucie legislation
- From: sheila lieberman <dgshwpromo@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: almanya@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 18:42:30 -0700 (PDT)
Below is what I sent to Port St Lucie, hope it helps. I will work on a form
letter next.
sheila
Re: new licensing laws for pets
This matter has been a big issue in many cities and counties around the
country for many years now. As a current resident of Miami-Dade County and a
former resident of Montgomery County, Maryland I can say that rules are made to
be broken.
Stricter laws have been enacted and yet I continue to see such laws broken
over and over. The point is that while many people, such as myself, try very
hard to stay within the specific limits the law sets forth, that is not always
possible or desirable. And what does the number mean anyway? I know so many
people who have more dogs than the law allows, and yet they have the best cared
for, trained and social dogs I meet. Most people who have more animals never
get noticed, because they care for their animals properly. The issue of over
population and abuse of pets is misstated over and over. Yes, there are too
many animals, mostly because people don?t care for what they have by investing
in training and health care. The disposable society is to blame, not those of
us who truly spend our money and time caring for our animals. But we are the
easiest targets of stricter pet ownership laws.
The original idea for reducing the freedom of animal ownership is coming from
a small but overly vocal group of animal rights people, whose ultimate goal is
the end animal ownership altogether. They really think our loving pets should
be set free to fend for themselves with no health care or companionship. Now
since science has proven that dogs descend from wolves, and are not a truly
natural expression of genetics, it is not reasonable to expect dogs to be wild
animals. And, given that re-populating the wilds of the USA with wolves is
proving difficult, what is expected if thousands of dogs and cats are set free?
As for spaying and neutering absolutely every dog and cat alive right now,
how will the next generation of dogs and cats come to us when our current most
beloved dog or cat dies?
While I, as a true animal lover and professional dog trainer, do believe that
most dogs and cats that live out their lives and pet companions do need to be
neutered, there also needs to be available the next generation of animals for
pet ownership. The more restrictive the laws, the fewer animals are produced.
I find that when researched, most laws as of 20 years ago are not enforced
fully, how in the world does any jurisdiction expect to enforce new laws?
In closing, those who care will always care for their dogs and cats properly
and put a limit on themselves and what they can manage regardless of laws. And
those who otherwise ignore the law will do so no matter how many laws are
enacted to control behavior.
Please consider the true ramifications of the laws enacted that are intended
to protect animals. In truth, they endanger more animals, cause people to
leave your tax basis for less invasive living, and create more bureaucracy that
will function less efficiently at a greater expense to all tax payers, with no
real usable results that benefit the community.
almanya@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: If anyone can help by sending letters it would be
great.................
Also if anyone is a good letter writer and can write a form letter for this
please send it, I can pass it around to be sent in.......Thanks Amy
< On April 3rd, the St. Lucie County Commission passed an ordinance to require
registration of dogs and cats and breeders in unincorporated areas of St. Lucie
County. The following are the fees for
registration/identification tags:
Sterilized cat or dog: $10.00 annual fee per animal/$25.00 lifetime fee per
animal
Multiple sterilized pets/one owner:
1. First sterlized cat or dog - $10.00 annual fee/$25.00 lifetime
2. Second sterlized cat or dog - $8.00 annual fee/$20.00 lifetime
3. Third sterilized cat or dog - $6.00 annual fee/$15.00 lifetime
Sterlized cat or dog with senior exemption: $7.50 annual fee per animal
Non-Sterlized dog or cat: $75.00 annual fee per animal
Non-Sterlized cat or dog with veterinarian certificate indicating animal's
health or age prevents sterilization: $10.00 annual fee per animal
Breeder's registration - $100 annual fee/Replacement tag - $5.00 per tag
The City of Fort Pierce is now considering enacting the same fees and will vote
on this at a Commission meeting sometime within the next month. The City of
Port St. Lucie has chosen to NOT enact these fees.
POLITE comments on why these should be OPPOSED should be sent to Fort
Pierce Commissioners:
Mayor Robert J. Benton III rbenton@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Commissioner R. Duke Nelson dnelson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Commissioner Rufus J. Alexander, III - alexand@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Commissioner Christine Coke & Commissioner Edward Becht -
angelawilkinson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx *****(NOTE: Please THANK
Commissioners Coke and Becht for requesting additional
information)*****
Points to make:
High differential licensing fees for intact animals and breeder
registration/permit fees have proven to fail in areas where this has been
enacted. Most notably:
1. In 1992, Montgomery County, Maryland amended their Animal Control ordinance
to include breeder permits and high differential licensing fees for dogs and
cats in an effort to reduce shelter euthanasias. In 1997, the Montgomery
County, Maryland Office of Legislative Oversight was mandated to conduct an
analysis to see the effects of the changes to this ordinance. The 1997 analysis
is significant because a County office recommended returning to the original
license fee structure and eliminating breeder permits. The analysis can be
found here: Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight 1997 Report
2. San Mateo County, California passed a mandatory spay/neuter for all dogs and
cats in unincorporated parts of the county unless the owner obtains an
unaltered license or breeder's permit. The license fee for unaltered dogs/cats
is nearly twice that of spayed/neutered dogs and cats. After the effective date
of the ordinance, dog deaths in the parts of the county affected by the
ordinance increased 126% and cats 86%, while licenses declined 35%. (For the
county as a whole
dog deaths decreased 5% and cats 16% in 1993; in 1994 dog deaths declined 12%
and cats 17%.) From 1991-1994 there were no cat breeder permits and 50 permits
for dog breeders, eight of which were renewals. In addition, licenses dropped
dramatically. For 1998-99, the number dropped to 36,023, a dramatic decline
from the 48,000-51,000 range of the past two decades.
3. A 2000 ordinance in Los Angeles city requires the spay/neuter of all dogs
and cats unless the owner has obtained a $100. annual unaltered animal or
breeder's permit. For any dogs that breed, the owner must obtain a $100 annual
breeder's permit for each animal which allows 1 litter. A second litter during
the annual permit period may be permissible "to protect the health of the
animal[,] avert a substantial economic loss to the permittee" or "if the first
litter was euthanized". A breeder must register all dogs bred for sale and
disclose their name and permit number in any ad and on any sale documents. The
city also tracks the identity of subsequent owners of the animals sold by
breeders. There is a $91.50 license fee for unaltered dogs and a $6.50 charge
for animals that have been spayed/neutered. Violators are subject to fines of
up to $500.00.
Since the passage of this 2000 "spay or pay" Los Angeles ordinance, there has
been a decline in dog licensing compliance. The animal control budget after
passage of the law rose 269%., from $6.7 million to $18 million. The city hired
additional animal control officers and bought new trucks and equipment just to
enforce the new law.
Please ask Fort Pierce City Commissioners to ask an AKC all-breed kennel club
in Florida to provide a representative to serve on a task force, a
representative chosen by a cat registry in Florida such as Cat Fanciers
Association or The International Cat Association (TICA), a veterinarian
appointed by the Treasure Coast Veterinary Medical Association, a
representative chosen by a Florida AKC recognized obedience training club, a
representative of the local humane society chosen by the humane society, a
representative that is an employee of Fort Pierce Animal Control chosen by the
Director of Animal Control, a representative of a Florida organization that
promotes animal rights equality with humans chosen by the animal rights
organization, and a representative of a Florida organization that is animal
welfare bit is NOT for animal rights. The purpose of the task force will be to
come up with solutions to reduce shelter euthanasia's OTHER than Draconian
legislation.
Diane J. Albers
President
Florida Association of Kennel Clubs, Inc.
Pat Hawk
President
Florida Animal Owners Alliance, Inc.
Dante DeAngelis
Florida Legislative Director
The Doberman Pinscher Club of America>
Amy Safdir
Almanya Shepherds
www.almanyagsd.com
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