Monthly Archives: August 2011

Webinar: The Calgary Model for Success

Posted on August 17, 2011 by | Comments Off

Today (Aug 17) and Friday (Aug 19), Petsmart Charities Webinars will feature “The Calgary Model for Success,” a presentation by Bill Bruce about Calgary’s effective, breed-neutral animal control bylaw.

Anyone may attend and benefit from these webinars. To find out more about what has worked in Calgary, and what can make your community safer and more humane, visit https://petsmartcharities.webex.com/ (Click the Training Center tab if necessary, then view the Upcoming tab.)

Summary of the Webinar, from Petsmart Charities:

The animal control bylaw in Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been hailed by many as a HUGE success. While other cities and provinces in Canada are banning breeds, Calgary is choosing education program and stronger enforcement. Pet owners in Calgary have a support system that addresses their needs before they become a problem. They have a mandatory licensing program for both cats and dogs which has provided the funds to help even more animals. The program has also lowered the number of impounded animals, increased owner return rates, lowered the euthanasia rates and lowered the number of fines for bylaw infractions! In this webinar, Bill Bruce of The City of Calgary Animal Services will share with you the steps he and his organization took to bring his community such a successful program, and the impact it had on animals’ lives in that community.

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Posted in Canada, Community Initiatives, Non-BSL

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City of Sonoma, CA: Councilmember to push for BSL or ban

Posted on August 17, 2011 by | 3 Comments

**Not to be confused with Sonoma County, CA**

Sonoma council member Joanne Sanders has asked city staff to research the possibility of breed-specific regulations or a ban on “pit bulls.” California state law prohibits municipalities from passing breed-specific laws, with the exception of breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter. City staff is therefore likely to suggest breed-specific MSN.

Please note that breed-specific MSN, like any breed-specific law, targets dogs based on their looks, and has all the flaws and quandaries of any law based solely on a dog’s appearance. Breed-specific laws of any kind, including BS-MSN, are not an ethical or effective solution.

Contact information for Sonoma City Council
City Council, City of Sonoma, No. 1 The Plaza, Sonoma CA 95476
City Clerk: (707) 933-2216
Steve Barbose, sbarbose@vom.com
Ken Brown, ken@bearflagsocialclub.com
Laurie Gallian, lauriegallian@comcast.net
Joanne Sanders, cityhall@sonomacity.org
Tom Rouse, SonomaRouse@gmail.com

Email block for cut and paste
sbarbose@vom.com; ken@bearflagsocialclub.com; lauriegallian@comcast.net; cityhall@sonomacity.org; SonomaRouse@gmail.com

The regular meetings of the Sonoma City Council are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:00 PM. Next council meeting: September 7.

Council agendas: http://www.sonomacity.org/default.aspx?PageId=50

Sonoma councilwoman wants crackdown on pit bulls

By DEREK MOORE, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 5:13 p.m.

A Sonoma councilwoman said she wants the city to reconsider regulating pit bulls and other dog breeds after a pregnant Pacifica woman was mauled to death last week by her family pet.

Joanne Sanders asked city staff at Monday’s City Council meeting to research options for regulating what she called vicious dogs.

In an interview Tuesday, Sanders said she personally supports banning pit bulls within city limits.

“I think pit bulls are a great start,” she said.

Sanders said the city previously considered but failed to enact legislation regulating certain dog breeds. [...]

Full article retrieved 8/17/11 from http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110816/ARTICLES/110819595?Title=Sonoma-councilwoman-wants-crackdown-on-pit-bulls&tc=ar

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Posted in California, Whispers of BSL

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Marinette, WI update: Breed ban proposal nixed

Posted on August 11, 2011 by | Comments Off

Several attendees of yesterday’s Marinette Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee meeting have reported that the committee voted against a proposed breed ban. The proposal is unlikely to move forward.

The committee also stated an interest in enforcing or strengthening the breed-neutral dog ordinances they already have in place.

Thanks to the many people who took the time to update StopBSL on Marinette, including Cindi and the Lakeshore Bully Club.

All alerts for Marinette: http://stopbsl.com/?s=marinette

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Posted in BSL Defeated, Wisconsin

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Fontana, CA: Breed-specific MSN passed

Posted on August 11, 2011 by | 1 Comment

This appears to be a case of “the county did it, so we should too.” California state law prohibits municipalities from passing breed-specific laws, except for breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter.

Although it is a done deal, if you wish to contact the mayor and council, you can find their contact information here: http://www.fontana.org/Directory.aspx?did=3

Fontana enacts new pit bull law

Jim Steinberg, Staff Writer
Posted: 08/10/2011 06:32:02 PM PDT

FONTANA – The City council, by a 5-0 vote, has passed an ordinance requiring all owners of pit bulls and pit bull mixed breed to spay or neuter their dog before it reaches the age of four months.

The ordinance mirrors a law San Bernardino County enacted several years ago and adopted by many area cities.[...]

Full article retrieved 8/11/11 from http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_18656650

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Posted in BSL Passed, California

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Gardner, KS: “Pit bull” ban proposed

Posted on August 10, 2011 by | 3 Comments

The article below is worth reading in its entirety for a better understanding of the situation in Gardner. The city repealed their “pit bull” ban in 2007 after officials raised a number of concerns about the ineffectiveness of the ban, including difficulties with enforcement, unexpected expenses, problems with breed identification, intentional breed misidentification by the public, and more.

Councilmember Larry Fotovich has requested that the breed ban be reinstated in Gardner. At this time, it does not appear that the other councilmembers are supportive of a ban. Please remain polite and courteous in your correspondence to educate and encourage the councilmembers to vote against a breed ban.

The council intends to place the proposal on the agenda for a vote during the September 5 council meeting, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers, City Hall, 120 East Main Street, Gardner, Kansas.

David Drovetta, Mayor, ddrovetta@gardnerkansas.gov
Kristy Harrison, kharrison@gardnerkansas.gov
Brian Broxterman, bbroxterman@gardnerkansas.gov
Larry Fotovich, lfotovich@gardnerkansas.gov
Chris Morrow, cmorrow@gardnerkansas.gov
Dennis Pugh, dpugh@gardnerkansas.gov

Email block for cut-and-paste
ddrovetta@gardnerkansas.gov; kharrison@gardnerkansas.gov; bbroxterman@gardnerkansas.gov; lfotovich@gardnerkansas.gov; cmorrow@gardnerkansas.gov; dpugh@gardnerkansas.gov

PIT BULL BAN

Councilmember Fotovich requested that a change to the City Code that would ban “Pit Bulls.” The City of Gardner had a pit bull ban in the past, but moved to the “Vicious” animal ban in 2007.[...]

Following extensive discussion on the issue, it was determined that a proposal to ban pit bulls would be placed upon an upcoming agenda. The ordinance change will probably appear on the September 5th agenda. Items discussed in a work session and placed on the agenda typically have the consensus support of the Council. In this case, however, it appears that the Council has placed the proposed change on the agenda in order to take a formal vote on the issue. Based upon questions and statements made during the discussion, a majority will most likely vote against the proposal.[...]

Full article retrieved 8/10/11 from http://www.gardneredge.com/news/2011/08/10/4562-gardner-council-moves-forward-on-insurance-museum-and-pit-bulls

Many thanks to Jo for this alert!

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Kansas

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Mason City, IA: Breed ban possible

Posted on August 10, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Thanks to Jodi for this alert!

Please note that a breed ban is one of over a half dozen different suggestions for ordinance revision, and not all council members are in favor of the idea. Additionally, these ideas are in the early formation stages, and the specific breeds that would be affected by a ban have not been selected yet (although “pit bulls” would almost certainly be included, as the council’s informational material included a news article about another city’s pit bull ordinance).

Officials in Mason City, Iowa are considering are considering a number of options in an effort to control “vicious” dogs. One of the options under consideration is regulation of the ownership of specific breeds of dogs. The council discussed this issue at a work session yesterday afternoon, but took no action. This is expected to come up at a future council meeting.

Please take the opportunity to send your POLITE, RESPECTFUL and INFORMATIVE letters in opposition to an ordinance that would regulate and/or restrict the ownership of specific breeds of dogs, and encourage city officials to pursue a breed-neutral vicious dog ordinance.

City of Mason City, 10 First Street NW, Mason City, IA 50401
Phone: 641-421-3600
Fax: 641-423-5369
Email: cityinformation@masoncity.net

Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, mayor@masoncity.net
Max Weaver, weaveratlarge@masoncity.net
Scott Tornquist, tornquistatlarge@masoncity.net
Jeff Marsters, marsterswardone@masoncity.net
Travis Hickey, hickeywardtwo@masoncity.net
Don Nelson, nelsonwardthree@masoncity.net
Janet Solberg, solbergwardfour@masoncity.net

City Administrator/City Clerk Brent Trout
btrout@masoncity.net
(641) 421-2701

Email block for cut-and-paste
mayor@masoncity.net; weaveratlarge@masoncity.net; tornquistatlarge@masoncity.net; marsterswardone@masoncity.net; hickeywardtwo@masoncity.net; nelsonwardthree@masoncity.net; solbergwardfour@masoncity.net; btrout@masoncity.net

City Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. Next Council Meeting: Aug 16. Meeting agendas & minutes: http://www.masoncity.net/agenda.aspx?id=1279&catid=58

Dog owner group protests potential city pit bull ban

By PEGGY SENZARINO, peggy.senzarino@globegazette.com
Posted: Tuesday, August 9, 2011 8:20 pm

MASON CITY — [...]Any changes to the city’s vicious animal ordinance will be considered at a future council meeting.

Ordinance changes under consideration include:

• Making insurance mandatory for dogs the City Council defines as vicious.

• Defining certain breeds or characteristics that could be banned from the city. [...]

Capt. Mike McKelvey of the Mason City Police Department and Animal Control Officer Pat Gansen said enforcement of a breed ban might be difficult.

“It’s hard enough to keep ahead of the licensing,” Gansen said.[...]

Read more: http://globegazette.com/news/local/dog-owner-group-protests-potential-city-pit-bull-ban/article_87aa1b00-c308-11e0-b65e-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1Ucw3CKAN

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Posted in Iowa, Whispers of BSL

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Vancouver, WA: Strict breed-neutral dog ordinance in the works

Posted on August 9, 2011 by | Comments Off

Faced with strong, organized public protest, Vancouver, WA, city council backed away from plans for a breed ban, and appears to be pursuing a strict—but breed-neutral—dangerous dog ordinance instead.

The new ordinance will be read during the Sept. 12 council meeting, and a public hearing and council vote may take place as early as Sept. 19. Council meetings take place in Council Chambers, City Hall, first floor, 210 East 13th Street. The public is encouraged to attend these council meetings to offer feedback on the proposal.

All alerts for Vancouver, WA: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22vancouver%2C+wa%22

Contact info for mayor and city council
Tim.Leavitt@cityofvancouver.us; Jeanne.Harris@cityofvancouver.us; Jeanne.Stewart@cityofvancouver.us; Larry.Smith@cityofvancouver.us; Pat.Campbell@cityofvancouver.us; jack.burkman@cityofvancouver.us; bart.hansen@cityofvancouver.us

City mulls strict dangerous dog policy

Unprovoked attacks could lead an animal to be banned from Vancouver

By Andrea Damewood, Columbian Staff Reporter
Monday, August 8, 2011

[...] The policy wouldn’t ban pups who, unprovoked, make a minor nip that barely breaks the skin. Those dogs would be named “potentially dangerous.” But if that dog does it again, it could be labeled a dangerous dog — and would no longer be allowed in Vancouver. Or, if a dog with no previous history of aggression, unprovoked, inflicts severe injury — broken bones or disfiguring lacerations that need multiple sutures or plastic surgery — or kills a domestic animal or livestock, it too could be deemed a dangerous dog and could no longer be kept in Vancouver.

The policy the city council discussed would make Vancouver’s law stricter than those in unincorporated Clark County. [...]

Full article retrieved 8/9/11 from http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/aug/08/city-mulls-strict-dangerous-dog-policy/ 

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Posted in Non-BSL Proposed, Washington State

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Marinette, WI: Committee to meet, may recommend breed ban, Aug 10

Posted on August 7, 2011 by | Comments Off

Thanks to Kathy for this Marinette update!

In July, the Marinette, WI, Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee wrote up a proposal to ban ”pit bulls.” Their decision to advance the ordinance to council was delayed by public protest.

The Committee will again discuss and possibly recommend a breed ban or breed-specific restrictions on Wednesday, August 10, at 4:45 PM, in Council Chambers, Marinette City Hall, 1905 Hall Avenue, Marinette, WI.

In addition to sending correspondence to council to oppose breed-discriminatory laws, residents and locals are urged to attend the Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee meeting on August 10 to reiterate public opposition to the proposed ban.

Marinette City Hall, 1905 Hall Avenue, Marinette, WI 54143-1716
Mayor Robert M. Harbick, mayor@marinette.wi.us
Elected officials’ contact information may be viewed here (emails not available): http://www.marinette.wi.us/government/elected_officials.php

The Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee meets on the second Wednesday of  each month at 4:45 PM. City Council meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. Call 715.732.5120 for more information.

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Wisconsin

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Vancouver, WA: City workshop to discuss proposed ordinance revisions, Aug 8

Posted on August 6, 2011 by | Comments Off

Although Vancouver, WA, has publicly called off plans to ban “pit bulls,” breed-specific restrictions of some kind have not been officially nixed. The city council is holding a work session on Monday, Aug 8, at 4:00 PM in council chambers to discuss recommendations made by city staff. Residents and locals are encouraged to attend the work session to determine whether any ordinance revisions will be breed specific.

Following the work session, at 6:30 PM, the city council will hold a consent agenda meeting that ends with a citizen forum. The public may speak to the council on any topic during the citizen forum.

All alerts for Vancouver, WA: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22vancouver%2C+wa%22

Contact info for mayor and city council
Tim.Leavitt@cityofvancouver.us; Jeanne.Harris@cityofvancouver.us; Jeanne.Stewart@cityofvancouver.us; Larry.Smith@cityofvancouver.us; Pat.Campbell@cityofvancouver.us; jack.burkman@cityofvancouver.us; bart.hansen@cityofvancouver.us

Council meetings take place in Council Chambers, City Hall, first floor, 210 East 13th Street. 

Workshop Agenda from http://www.cityofvancouver.us/councilmeetings.asp?menuid=10462&submenuID=10474&itemID=84668

WORKSHOPS (City Council Chambers)

4:00-5:00 p.m. Animal Ordinance Updates
Summary

In May, 2011, the Vancouver City Council adopted amendments to the City’s Animal Ordinance, VMC 8.24 VMC, which brought the City and County penalties for noncompliance into alignment. During the process of developing those changes, staff from the City and from Clark County Animal Protection and Control identified a number of other provisions of the City Animal Ordinance which needed updating. The City’s Animal Ordinance has not had a general review since the mid-1980’s.

Staff has been meeting since May to further fine-tune proposed changes. Their recommendations were presented to and unanimously endorsed by the Clark County Animal Protection and Control Advisory Board July 28th. Staff will now review with Council the recommended changes to the City’s Animal Ordinance and seek Council direction. (Judy Zeider, Chief Assistant City Attorney, 487-8521; Paul Scarpelli, Clark County Animal Protection and Control Manager, 397-2375 ext. 4705)

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Posted in Washington State, Whispers of BSL

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Niles Township, MI: Town considers ordinance that prohibits breed discrimination

Posted on August 4, 2011 by | 2 Comments

**Not to be confused with Niles, MI**

Update 9/20/11: The ordinance was passed with some changes. I have not confirmed whether the prohibition against breed discrimination remains intact; but I have not read anything that suggests it was removed.

Niles Township, MI, is considering a new animal control ordinance after a loose dog attacked a cat and another dog. While such incidents, when committed by certain types of dogs, usually inspire breed-specific ordinances, the draft ordinance currently being worked on in Niles Township says just the opposite.

The current draft reads: “No animal shall be found to be a dangerous animal solely because it is a particular breed.”

This is currently a draft. The township board supervisor advises that the draft is undergoing changes; he hopes to have a final draft ready for a first reading at the August 15 township board meeting.

Please write the Township and show your support for breed-neutral language. Encourage them to keep this prohibition against breed discrimination!

Contact info for Niles Township
Jim Kidwell, Supervisor, jkidwell@nilestwpmi.gov
Marge Durm-Hiatt, Clerk, mdurm-hiatt@nilestwpmi.gov
Jim Ringler, jringler@nilestwpmi.gov
Richard Noble, rnoble@nilestwpmi.gov
Richard Cooper, rcooper@nilestwpmi.gov
August Kuehn, akuehn@nilestwpmi.gov
Gary Conover, gconover@nilestwpmi.gov

Email block for cut and paste:
jkidwell@nilestwpmi.gov; mdurm-hiatt@nilestwpmi.gov; jringler@nilestwpmi.gov; rnoble@nilestwpmi.gov; rcooper@nilestwpmi.gov; akuehn@nilestwpmi.gov; gconover@nilestwpmi.gov

Thanks to Regina for the heads up!

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Posted in Michigan, Non-BSL Proposed

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