Miami-Dade county passes anti-tethering law

Miami-Dade County, in Florida, has passed a law that now makes it a crime for owners to leave their pets chained when they are not present.  The law, which is an amendment to Chapter V of the Miami-Dade County Code, will go into effect in April.

Pet owners will be warned for the first violation.  For the second violation, the owners will face civil penalties of $100 for cruelty and $500 for additional offenses.

Know how to Lobby for animals?

Lobbying Tips Workshop to be held in Springfield, Mo.

On Saturday, January 17, the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation will be holding a Lobbying Tips Seminar in Springfield, Mo.

Get tips on how to lobby in the state legislature, learn more about the Alliance's legislative agenda for 2009, sign up to participate in Lobby Day in Jefferson City, and learn about upcoming Alliance events in Springfield!

The event will be held
in Meeting Room B, noon to 1:30 p.m., Main Library Center, 4653 South Campbell, Springfield, Missouri 65810. Phone: (417) 882-0714.

This event will be hosted by the Alliance's Springfield coordinator, Kris Hegle.

To RSVP or for more information, please contact the Alliance at mail@maal.org or Kris Hegle at kahegle@aol.com.

Reports of animal abuse can go astray

Calls about dog abuse are common in Franklin County, according to representatives of local animal shelters.

Too often, however, the calls are made to the wrong agencies.

When it comes to reporting animal cruelty, particularly related to dogs, people are often confused about what to do. So they call police or the state dog warden. Some people call on government officials, like a woman in Greencastle who went to the town's council on Feb. 4 with her concerns about a dog in her neighborhood.

In Pennsylvania there are certain agencies designated to handle certain calls.

The humane societies or animal shelters work to prevent the cruelty to animals. They also promote the humane treatment for all animals through education and enforcement of state cruelty laws.

In Franklin County, the Antietam Humane Society covers the southern part of the county, while the northern part is covered by the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.

Calls about the abuse of dogs and other animals should be made to the AHS or CVAS. And that's a message made clear by Dog Warden Georgia Martin, who reports more than 18,000 dog licenses being issued in 2007.

The outgoing message on her answering machine notes that animal cruelty, dog neglect or cat complaints should go to the humane society; barking complaints to the local township or borough; and wild animal complaints to the state game commission.

Complaint in Greencastle

The issue of animal neglect emerged recently

during a Greencastle Borough Council meeting. Isle-Marie Bramson of 305 Leitersburg St. called on council to help a beagle that lived near her home. She said the dog's owner often leaves the dog outside in cold weather. When a council member asked if she had contacted the humane society, she said she had and that nothing had been done.

"One thing that bothers me about Greencastle is the fact that no one seems to be concerned about the welfare of an animal," Bramson said in a prepared statement. "Neither the police nor the animal welfare persons are implementing the few existing laws regarding animals. In any case, the present rules are not enforced partly because they are too vague."

The owner of the dog in question, whose name was not mentioned by Bramson, told Public Opinion that police and other agencies had made several visits to his home and they found nothing wrong: "She's been told to mind her own d
business!"

Chief John Phillippy of the Greencastle Police Department confirmed the owner's remarks. He said Wednesday that his officers have made several visits to the owner's home, as has Georgia Martin, the state dog law enforcement officer.

They found no violations, he said.

"You may agree or disagree with having a dog outside," Phillippy said. "But the owner is not in violation. The state code says the dog should have food, water and shelter, and the dog has that."

Candy Clopper, executive director of the Antietam Humane Society, agreed: "I have been there many, many times and the complaints were totally unfounded. The owner is not in violation of animal cruelty laws."

According to Clopper, Bramson also said the beagle was chained. Yet, when Clopper visited the dog, he was not chained.

"The owner said he was only chained when cleaning the kennel," she said. "We all would like to see dogs snuggled inside, but there is no law requiring that."

Clopper said the beagle is actually better off than most other dogs that are kept outside.

Different laws, different states

"As long as they fall within the laws of Pennsylvania, there's nothing wrong," said Jennifer Vanderau, director of communications for Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.

"Being an animal lover, I agree it's sad to see the dogs outside," she said. "However, the agencies in question are bound by the laws of Pennsylvania."

Vanderau explained that people sometimes watch the television channel Animal Planet and see things in Texas or New York and wonder why agencies won't address certain complaints.

They don't understand that different states have different laws, she said.

Concerned about the state law on the issue, Bramson is planning a trip to Harrisburg to meet with state legislators and see what can be done about current law.

She agreed that the beagle's owner is not in violation. However, she believes the dog is still suffering, and the way to address it is by changing the current law: "The laws have to be changed and made more precise."

According to Bramson, chaining is not good for a dog. It's a problem because it can cause dogs to become vicious, she said.

Dog warden

People have their own ideas, but agencies have to go by the law, said Martin, who worked as a humane society police officer from 1991 to 1998.

Since then, she has worked as a state dog warden. In that capacity, she tries to educate the public about her job and the treatment of animals, she said.

In addition to filing citations, she handles complaints about dogs running at large. If someone is bitten, she takes care of it by placing the animal in quarantine. She informs the victim of his or her rights and lets the dog owner know about their responsibilities.

Martin also checks for license and rabies vaccinations of dogs older than 3 months. She also picks up strays, averaging one a week.

"Sixty percent of the complaints are about neighbors' dogs running loose," she said, noting she averages 900 cases a year.

Beyond those duties, Martin inspects 45 kennels, twice a year, throughout the county.

"Our agency does not handle animal cruelty," she said. "We don't have the power to enforce cruelty laws. When in the field, if I see any cruelty issues, I address it with the dog owner and turn it over to a humane society police officer."

The state is currently talking about empowering dog wardens to enforce cruelty laws, she said.

'Dogs Deserve Better'

Bramson is a volunteer for Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit group that works to free dogs that are chained. Its goal is to protect the dogs and bring them into homes, according to the group's Web site.

Bobbie McIntyre, a DDB representative, said she will do what she can to save abused dogs: "If you see what some of the dogs look like when they're brought to us, you'll understand the severity of the situation."

Some of the dogs she has rescued were nearly crippled by the chains. Their legs were atrophied and the collars had grown into their necks, she said. Beside those issues, the chains breeds severe aggression in a dog, she said.

When she learns of a chained dog, she writes a letter to the owner and provides literature on why the dog should not be chained. McIntyre, who lives in Greencastle, said she's not talking about the use of a leash when a dog is taking a walk. Her concern is for the "perpetual chained dogs" that are chained for their entire lives.

In addition to educating the dog owners, McIntyre and DDB offer free fencing that they install. They also offer to housebreak a dog if necessary and will pay for a trainer. If the owner surrenders the dog, she will gladly take it in, she said.

Although many governments have passed laws prohibiting this, she said, Pennsylvania is the hardest to bring about this change. So far, McIntyre said she has talked to local, county and state representatives about the issue.

She wants to lobby until the laws are changed. In the mean time, she plans to continue to write letters to owners of chained dogs.

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Roscoe Barnes III can be reached at 262-4762 or rbarnes@publicopinionnews.com.

Resources on animal treatment

Antietam Humane Society: 762-9091, http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/antietamhumanesociety.html

Dog Law Enforcement Officer of Franklin County: 762-9794

Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter: 263-5791, http://www.cvas-pets.org/History.htm

The Large Animal Protection Society: http://www.largeanimalprotectionsociety.org/crueltylaw.html

Dogs Deserve Better: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/home.html

North Miami code toughened, but stray cats get a pass

Cats got a reprieve when the North Miami city council unanimously agreed to scale back its stricter animal enforcement guidelines.

At a meeting Feb. 12, the council passed on first reading a new law that makes it easier for the city's animal code enforcer, Tami Fox, to do her job. The new law allows for heftier fines if your dogs run loose or if you feed feral cats on someone else's property and bans keeping fowl.

The council appeased droves of cat lovers, by allowing them to keep as many cats as they want and they can feed stray cats as long as they do it in their own yard.

''We have to do a balancing act between the neighbor who wants to feed the cats and the neighbors who don't want cats in their yard,'' City Attorney Lynn Whitfield said.

Instead of the stricter restrictions for cats, the council said the city should work with cat groups, including The Cat Network, to educate the public on trapping, spaying or neutering the animals and then releasing them.

''We do have a problem in the city with the overpopulation of feral cats that we do have to somehow get some control on,'' Whitfield said. ``So we are going to initially try to do something in terms of public information.''

The news was very exciting for many Cat Network members and residents, who attended the meeting.

''It has to start with educating the public,'' resident Marie Samuel said. ``Not just say it, do it.''

Fowl were not as lucky as cats. Fox said roosters are acting as alarm clocks and residents don't want them in the city.

If the ordinance passes on second reading Feb. 26, Fox will be able to issue a $100 ticket on the spot if she sees someone with a live fowl.

Whitfield, along with Fox and Public Works Director Mark Collins, have been working on updating the outdated, 1958 code for months. An ordinance came up for approval in October but was deferred.

Whitfield said it was time to get something in place to make it easier for Fox to clean up the city. Whitfield said she believes stricter fines might encourage people to be more careful when it comes to animals. For example, under the old code, a ticket for letting a dog run loose could cost $50-$100; with the new code, it could be $150.

''This is a step in the right direction,'' Mayor Kevin Burns said. ``I'm glad to see we are working with the right groups.''

Man feeding strays could face fines from SPCA

Don Grant says the local SPCA is supposed to prevent cruelty to animals, not promote it.

"I don't think they do - they are the biggest offender of their own law," said Grant, who's facing a $150 fine for caring for stray cats near his Lynnwood Drive apartment.

He said the four cats, which are about a year old, would starve to death without his help.

"They wouldn't survive," said the 63-year-old, who has three cats of his own.

"In the nice weather, I hardly see them. They're out catching mice. But there's nothing for them to eat at this time of year. I can't turn my back on these animals and let them starve to death."

Grant has been feeding the cats - whose mother was hit by a car - since last summer. He puts out food on the balcony of his ground-floor apartment and has also made them a cozy enclosure out of an old ottoman, to protect them from the bitter cold. Some of his neighbours have helped out by providing blankets and a heating pad. "Everybody's got dogs or cats in this building," he said. "We're all animal lovers."

But, on Jan. 26, Grant was warned by an SPCA officer that he could be fined for harbouring the stray cats.

Shelter manager Robin Kuchma said the SPCA - which enforces the city's animal control bylaws - gets involved if there's a complaint from neighbours.

"Nobody's going to condemn somebody for feeding a stray but if you're providing food on a regular basis, plus shelter, you're providing a permanent home and that attracts more strays.

"People's intentions are good - they're trying to help animals in need. But, we have to be respectful of other people."

Grant said the SPCA paid him a visit last month after receiving a complaint that he had too many cats in his home. At that time, he was looking after his late mother's elderly cat, which put him over the city limit of three cats per household.

Grant agreed to find his mother's cat a new home but, during the conversation, he also mentioned that he was feeding the strays.

"I walked right into it."

Grant said he has no intention of allowing the stray cats to starve but he won't take them to the SPCA either.

"They're overrun with them," he said."All they're going to do is kill them."

Instead, he plans to find the cats new homes, something he's done with other strays.

"I told (the SPCA officer) I'd be moving them by May."

Kuchma said there are probably thousands of stray cats in the city. And, if they're not controlled, they continue to reproduce at an alarming rate.

"One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years," she said. "It's a huge problem."

Because Brantford doesn't have a cat control bylaw, the SPCA is not funded to pick up stray cats. But it does accept about 2,000 cats every year that are taken to the Mohawk Street shelter.

Sadly, only about three per cent are claimed by their owners, even though Kuchma estimates up to 80 per cent were once somebody's pet. "You can pick them up and cuddle them. You can't do that with a cat that was born in the wild."

While the SPCA tries to find homes for the cats, only 40 per cent are adopted. The rest are euthanized.

But Kuchma said that's a more humane end than letting the cats die from starvation or disease in the wild. "It's heartbreaking, when we see an animal like that, sick and unable to eat. They're just skin and bones."

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Puppy Torturers Receive Strong Sentence – Congratulate Georgia DA!

Last August, two teenage brothers in Atlanta, GA, were charged with torturing and baking a three-month-old puppy to death. Just recently, justice was served - the brothers received the maximum sentence allowable in each of the nine counts under which they were charged. These sentences will be served concurrently, and in effect, the young men will serve 10 years in prison and 10 years under strict probation, for a total of 20 years.

The horrific death of this poor puppy touched animal lovers around the world, and the strong sentencing in this case highlights how strongly the public feels about cruelty toward animals.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard felt so strongly about seeking justice in this case – describing the death of this puppy as "so egregious it cries out for special attention" - that he sent a letter to Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue requesting that the penalty for animal cruelty be raised above the current five year maximum.

DA Howard should be applauded for his commitment to justice and the humane treatment of animals – please sign this petition today to congratulate him on success in this case!

Please sign the petition--We need to let lawyers and judges know we are watching these cases and applaud their serious attention to such terrible cases!