Alert! Critical Animal Ordinance Alert: Dallas Animals Must Have Your Help TODAY!!

[Guest guest]

Important Reminder, Re-Posted from 3/28/08: Please politely telephone key Dallas decision makers on or by 4/1/08 to support this Dallas city animal code proposed revision. This is the most important thing you can do to alleviate the terrible problem of pet suffering in Dallas, whether or not you live in Dallas. Contact info (link) and an outline of copy points are included below. Thank you. MargaretElaine Munch <elainemunch wrote: PLEASE CROSS POST WITH WIDEST POSSIBLE DISTRIBUTION. Dear MAC Member Groups & E-group Subscribers: On Tuesday, April 2, the City Council will hear the much talked- about revision to the Dallas Animal Code in a work session. This is not a City council meeting, though members of the public may attend,

there is no ability to sign-up to speak for this session. Your role, however, is critical to this session. Between now and Wednesday, we need everyone to write, call or fax (e-mail is the communication of last resort). If you simply forward this e-mail, it will be deleted by council's assistants - THEY DO NOT PASS ON FORWARDED E-MAILS TO COUNCIL. Ideally, we need calls, TODAY and Monday and Tuesday before the briefing this coming week - WE MUST COVER THEM UP WITH COMMUNICATIONS SO THEY WILL KNOW HOW SERIOUS THIS ORDINANCE PACKAGE IS. OTHERWISE THESE GREAT NEW ORDINANCES WILL FAIL. Below are bullet points for you to use in composing your own letters, plus here is a link for all contact information for your council person, the Mayor and others: http://www.dallascityhall.com/pdf/phones/mayorand.pdf Everyone MUST write or call their council person's office and the Mayor's office. If you can, please write or call all 15 city leaders, but it is imperative that council hear from their constituents on this matter. Even if you don't live in Dallas, please write, call and fax and tell them you work, shop or play in Dallas and this ordinance is important to you. There may be some mis-communication about one ordinance in particular: the Pet Limits Ordinance. PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS INFORMATION. If you do not understand it, contact me via e- mail. This ordinance is a critical step in getting the council to pass the entire package - it is the lynch-pin of our

strategy, and it will not work a hardship on ANY INDIVIDUAL, RESCUE OR FOSTER ORGANIZATION. If you oppose this ordinance they are unlikely to pass the others. COPY POINTS FOR YOUR LETTERS/CALLS: • Mandatory Spay/Neuter - Breeder Permits is the only way to: - prevent the continuing growth of the stray animal population which is at a crisis level in the City of Dallas. - Other provisions of the ordinance, such as pet limits, simply will not work without mandatory spay and neuter. -It is good for the health of the animals and it encourages responsible pet ownership. - Free programs are available to all low-income families so it is not punitive for these groups. - Those who make profit from breeding of animals should be registered and pay a fee as they use

disproportionate amounts of taxpayer resources when they dispose of unwanted animals. • Tethering and Proper Confinement will: - prevent aggressive behavior which is a direct result of current inhumane practices. - It will prevent dogs from becoming vicious; roaming our streets; attacking our children; and indiscriminately breeding and to prevent the inhumane confinement of dogs kept outside. • Pet Limits - Should provide for exceptions for rescue groups, foster organizations and grandfathering for people with more than the proposed limit. - An excessive number of pets in a residential dwelling can create both a nuisance for neighbors and an unhealthy condition for its occupants and the animals. - Create a better quality of life for people and animals overall - Excessive numbers of pets held by the general public puts an undue and unfair burden on rescue groups and Dallas Animal

Services when pet owners can no longer care for large numbers of pets. • Dangerous Dogs - strengthens the current code and requires positive changes such as spaying and neutering which reduces aggression and prey drive. - requires liability insurance coverage - creates a safer overall environment for pets and people. PICK A POINT OR TWO ABOUT EACH ORDINANCE OR SIMPLY STATE THAT YOU SUPPORT THEM ALL, BUT WE MUST HAVE YOUR SUPPORT TODAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY. Believe me, there is nothing more important you can to between now and April 2. Please do not ignore this request. Thank you, Elaine Munch, President Metroplex Animal Coalition ********************************************************************* ******** Complete Summary of all Ordinances: • Mandatory Spay/Neuter –

Breeder Permits Unless a person is in the business of breeding dogs and cats, all dogs and cats owned by that person should be sterilized. Sterilization prevents unwanted or "accidental" breeding; promotes the health of the animal; and discourages the animal's urge to roam. The proposed ordinance changes do the following: $ Require an impounded animal to be spayed or neutered at its owner's expense before it is released back to its owner unless the owner has or obtains a breeder permit. $ Provide that if the adopter of an unsterilized dog or cat from the Dallas Animal Shelter fails to have the animal sterilized in accordance with the adoption agreement, the director shall have the authority to reclaim and impound the animal. $ Require all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered unless the owner has a breeder's permit for that dog or cat. To ensure responsible breeding, a breeder's permit will be

issued only for a dog or cat breed recognized by a nationally recognized breed registry (such as the American Kennel Club) which maintains and enforces a code of ethics for dog and cat breeding. $ A breeder permit will cost $500 per year and will contain the following requirements: & #61656; Allow only one litter per permit year; & #61656; Prohibit the offspring from being sold until they have reached eight weeks of age and have been immunized against common diseases; & #61656; Require the breeder's permit number to be included in all advertisements for sale of the offspring; & #61656; Require the breeder to provide the purchaser of the offspring with information regarding the vaccination, registration and other ownership requirements of the Dallas Animal Code. $ If a permit holder violates the terms of his breeder permit, it can be revoked. Tethering and Proper

Confinement To prevent dogs from becoming vicious; roaming our streets; attacking our children; and indiscriminately breeding and to prevent the inhumane confinement of dogs kept outside, we propose the following ordinance changes: $ Require that no dog be tethered unless it is in the immediate possession and control of its owner. An exception will be made if the dog is properly tethered for a period no longer than necessary for the owner to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be tethered for a reasonable period of time. $ If and when a dog is tethered it must be tethered in a manner that does not allow the dog to leave the owner's premises; does not allow the dog to become entangled; and allows the dog access to food, water and appropriate shelter. Also, the dog must be properly fitted with a harness or collar and the tethering device must be attached to that harness or collar and

not directly to the dog's neck. The tethering device must be a minimum of 10 feet in length and strong enough to prohibit the dog from escaping. $ Dogs confined outdoors must be in a fenced yard or other outdoor pen or structure that (i) is capable of preventing the escape of the dog; (ii) has at least 150 sq. ft. of space per adult dog; and (iii) provides the dog access to the inside of a building, a dog house or other type of shelter. Pet Limits An excessive number of pets in a residential dwelling can create both a nuisance for neighbors and an unhealthy condition for its occupants and the animals. The current Code limits the number of dogs and/or cats per household to a total of four for dwelling units that share common walls. The recommended ordinance changes would add the following: $ Limit the number of dogs, cats or combination thereof on premises that share no common wall to a

total of six. The ordinance will provide an exception for persons who are approved by the director as foster care providers but would limit the number of fostered animals to an acceptable number set by the director of Animal Services based on breed, size of facility, location, etc.. To be approved as a foster care provider, the person must allow the director to make unannounced inspections of the premises and all animals located thereon. $ The ordinance will contain a "grandfather clause" to allow persons owning more than six dogs and cats on the effective date of the ordinance to keep those animals provided they meet certain requirements, including listing their animals with the director within 90 days after the effective date and complying with all City ordinances and state laws applicable to their dogs or cats. Dangerous Dogs The City's current ordinance dealing with dangerous dogs

needs to be expanded and streamlined. The proposed changes to Article V of the Animal Code dealing with dangerous dogs do the following: $ Streamline the process for seizing a dog and holding a hearing to determine whether it is dangerous. $ Provide a definition for "serious bodily injury" and "bodily injury" so that it is not left to conjecture. $ Allow the director to seize a dog that has caused bodily injury to a person and impound the dog pending the hearing and determination of whether the dog is dangerous. $ Allow the director or court to order a dangerous dog removed from the City or if the dangerous dog has killed or caused serious bodily injury to a person to be humanely destroyed. $ Allow the director to seize and impound a dangerous dog if: & #61656; The owner fails to comply with all requirements for owners of dangerous dogs; or & #61656; The dog bites or attacks a person

outside of its enclosure. $ Require the owner of a dog that has been ordered seized or impounded to surrender the dog to the director immediately. $ Require the owner of a dangerous dog to have the dog spayed or neutered. $ Require the owner of a dangerous dog to obtain $100,000 of liability coverage to cover damages resulting from an attack by the dog. $ Prohibit anyone from bringing a dangerous dog into the City. # # #

Special deal for users friends - No Cost. Get a month of Blockbuster Total Access now