Permission granted to crosspost.
August 14, 2009
As anticipated the Fort Worth Animal Ordinance passed Tuesday night
unanimously with no changes. It was obvious that this was not an open
process early on with no ordinance copy available until a week before the
vote. There are some errors in the newspaper article below. The
Spay/Neuter Provision and Intact Pet Permit applies to dogs and cats, not
just dogs. The requirement for a kennel is 48 sq. ft. PER dog 6 months of
age. The Intact Pet Permit is to be set annually by city council per the
ordinance, so the "one-time $50 permit fee" put forth means nothing.
Unspecified "additional information and documentation deemed necessary to
determine whether to issue the permit may be required." It is all at the
discretion of the animal control manager who will play God by deciding which
animals remain intact and which animals don't! Any out-of-town dogs or cats
impounded MUST be sterilized before reclamation.
We received this note from Brandon Bennett, Code Compliance director:
"Mary Beth, I am willing to drive to San Antonio to meet with you and your
board if you think that such a meeting would help us work together to
promote cooperation and voluntary spay and neuter. Please let your members
know that I really appreciated their input and that their input influenced
the ordinance that City Council passed last night. Jonathan did a great
job...He attended most if not all of the meetings. My staff would be
willing to meet with him any time...they were very impressed with how he
presented himself and the issues."
We too are very proud of Jonathan Elledge representing RPOA in Fort Worth
and all our efforts there. Thanks to all others also who gave their time to
attend the city council meeting. We provided Fort Worth with many
suggestions to address their animal problems that would not have punished
responsible dog and cat owners and statistics and facts that they refused to
consider. They chose to ignore us and pass the "animal rights" agenda
instead which is certain failure and will have unintended consequences.
Time will prove us to be correct.
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http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/1532976.html?storylink=pdOR
http://tinyurl.com/nqhlokFort Worth council adopts tougher dog ordinance
By MIKE LEE
mikelee@star-telegram.comFORT WORTH - The City Council adopted a new, tougher animal control
ordinance Tuesday, after hearing from the family of a girl who was mauled to
death by a neighbor's dog.
Brooklynn Milburn, 3, died Jan. 17 after she got through a hole in a
neighbor's fence. She was killed by the neighbor's Rottweiler.
Elizabeth Milburn, Brooklynn's mother, said the ordinance might have
prevented the girl's death. It requires stronger fences and encourages
owners to have their dogs spayed or neutered, which is widely believed to
make dogs more docile. The dog that killed Brooklynn had not been neutered.
David Kerzee, Brooklynn's grandfather, said the council should send a
message.
"If you can't afford an enclosure, don't own the dog. If you can't afford to
register, don't own the dog," he said.
Dog-rescue groups and the Humane Society of North Texas also pushed for the
tougher ordinance and argued that it should be even stronger. The city would
allow people to keep "intact" animals if the owner pays a one-time fee. The
rescue groups want an annual fee.
Dog breeders and other opponents said the city should enforce the laws it
has.
"The people who allow the dogs to run free are the ones who we need to hold
accountable," one opponent said.
Unanimous vote
Council members voted for the ordinance unanimously.
"We have innocent citizens being bitten, we have needless loss of life,"
Mayor Mike Moncrief said.
The ordinance goes into effect in a few months.
Among the major provisions:
Dogs will have to be spayed or neutered unless the owner takes a two-hour
class or pays a one-time $50 fee.
The price of a dog license will rise from $7 to $12 annually.
People who get an identification chip implanted in their animal can get a
three-year license for the same price as a one-year license. Currently, all
animals released from the city shelter are required to have a chip.
All dogs will have to be confined by a 4-foot fence in an enclosure of at
least 48 square feet.
Owners of aggressive dogs will have to build stronger fences in some cases,
even if the dog has not attacked a person. Dogs could be declared aggressive
if they dig out of their yard or attack other animals.
Dogs declared dangerous in other cities cannot be moved to Fort Worth.
Police or animal control officers will be allowed to seize animals that are
tethered to a fixed object.
Unrestrained dogs will not be allowed to ride in the backs of pickups.
Mike Lee, 817-390-7539
Join the discussion. Comments may be added at the URL above.
RPOA Texas Outreach (501C4 Nonprofit)
www.rpoatexasoutreach.orgResponsible Pet Owners Alliance (501C3 Nonprofit)
www.responsiblepetowners.org
