Tag Archives: animal control

Georgia bill to prohibit breed discriminatory laws moves forward

Posted on March 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Georgia bill to prohibit breed discriminatory laws moves forward

A bill that was introduced in the Georgia state legislature would prohibit breed discriminatory laws on the state level.

SB 184 is a relatively simple bill.  It would amend the current dangerous dog law to include the following language:

“Notwithstanding the provisions of Code Section 4-8-1, no county, municipality, or local 12 authority shall adopt any ordinance or resolution for the regulation of domestic dogs that 13 classifies based on breed.”

Most importantly, the bill expressly includes language that would repeal all existing breed discriminatory laws.

Last week, SB 184 cleared the Senate and moved on to the House.  The vote of 42-11 was a decisive victory for the bill.  SB 184 has been assigned to the House Government Affairs committee.

There is a companion bill in the House, HB 124.  This bill is identical in its language to SB 184.  This bill has cleared the second reading and is moving to the Senate side.  The fact that these bills have cleared the sides of the legislature that they started on is a very good sign.  There is support for the end of breed discriminatory laws on both sides.

The passage of these bills would be a huge step.  We do not see a lot of southern states taking on the issue of breed discriminatory laws and BDL seems to be more common in the south than in the north and west percentage wise.  Not only would this bill protect the rights of residents, it would also have a huge impact on the surrounding states and open the door to consideration of similar bills in the surrounding area.

GEORGIA RESIDENTS:  It is imperative that you continue to reach out to express support for this bill.  Take the time to write your Representative a note of support for SB 184.  A list of members of the House can be found here: http://www.house.ga.gov/Representatives/en-US/HouseMembersList.aspx

You can find your specific Representative here: http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

The contact information for the House Government affairs committee is as follows:
Rep. Ed Rynders, Chair:  ed.rynders@house.ga.gov
Rep. Buzz Brockway,: buzz.brockway@house.ga.gov
Rep. Tyrone Brooks:  tyrone.brooks@house.ga.gov
Rep. Barry Fleming: barry.fleming@house.ga.gov
Rep. Hugh Floyd:  hugh.floyd@house.ga.gov
Rep. Mark Hamilton:  mark.hamilton@house.ga.gov
Rep. Dustin Hightower: dustin.hightower@house.ga.gov
Rep. Rusty Kidd:  rusty.kidd@house.ga.gov
Rep. Eddie Lumsden: eddie.lumsden@house.ga.gov
Rep. John Meadows:  john.meadows@house.ga.gov
Rep. Howard Mosby:  howard.mosby@house.ga.gov
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver: mary.oliver@house.ga.gov
Rep. Larry O’Neal:  larry.oneal@house.ga.gov
Rep. Alan Powell:  alan.powell@house.ga.gov
Rep. Jay Powell:  jay.powell@house.ga.gov
Rep. Tom Taylor:  tom.taylor@house.ga.gov
Rep. Darlene K. Taylor:  darlene.taylor@house.ga.gov
Rep. Bruce Williamson: bruce.williamson@house.ga.gov

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Salina, Kansas, family fights for their dogs

Posted on December 7, 2014 by | 7 comments

A single working mother in Salina, Kansas, is in trouble with the city after her two dogs got escaped the yard and were picked up by animal control.

Jo Ann Morgan has two dogs that officials claim fall under the breed ban that Salina maintains.  Morgan stated that she sees “pit bulls” everyday in the community and had been unaware of the ban until obtaining her first dog.

The first dog, Celeste, was obtained not knowing there was a ban in place.  When the family asked a friend about a good vet in town, they then became aware of the ban.  Soon after, the second dog, Maicee, came to the family because of the ban.  The dog was owned by a boyfriend and girlfriend who had domestic issues.  At one point the girlfriend had threatened to call animal control on the dog for being a banned type as revenge.  The dog was taken in by Morgan, in what was supposed to be a temporary situation.

The dogs escaped the yard when the gate to their yard was left open after a trash pick up.  It was not noticed the gate was left open until the next morning, when the dogs were let out as the family got ready for their day.  A few minutes after they got out, on the morning of October 23rd, Morgan discovered the yard was empty and immediately began looking for the dogs.

They were picked up by animal control in a nearby parking lot.  It was later discovered, on a lost pets page for the community, that someone had spotted the dogs and was urging people to pick them up before animal control got them.

After searching for sometime, Morgan contacted the shelter, where she was told the dogs cannot be released because they are banned and that she would be charged.  Morgan also told that if she signed over the rights to Celeste and Maicee to the shelter, the prosecutor would drop the charges for harboring dangerous dogs.  Salina law declares “pit bulls” dangerous by appearance only, so any person caught with a banned type is charged with harboring a dangerous dog.  Celeste and Maicee had not harmed anyone.  Morgan asked if the dogs would be killed if signed over and was told that is the case.  She refused to sign over the dogs and was given a summons for the possession of two dangerous dogs.

Celeste and Maicee are currently being held as evidence and there are multiple criminal charges against Morgan.  Though Morgan is seeking legal representation, it is an expensive proposition for a case of this nature.

Salina has a bad track record with their handling of these sorts of cases.  Few, if any, confiscated dogs make it out of the shelter alive.  There was the story of Lucey, from 2010, who was taken as a banned dog and released after a DNA test showed she was a pure through and through mixed breed.  Officials came back on that family, saying the DNA tests are not reliable after the vet responsible for breed identification, Dr. Atherton, got a DNA test on his own dog and didn’t like the results.

Dr. Atherton is notorious for bad identification practices, and has, in at least one case, identified a pure breed dog (not a banned breed) as banned because of the dog’s teeth structure.

Morgan would love to get Celeste and Maicee back home but the odds of that are extremely slim.  The best hope right now is for the dogs to be placed in rescue.  When asked about it, Morgan was told that they do not release “pit bulls” to residents of other towns because of the “legal liability” of doing so.

The council is not open to discussing the issue.  Morgan attended a meeting and was told she would need to make a formal paper petition of registered voters and file specific forms in order for the council to consider the issue.

At this time, there is a Christmas card campaign for Celeste and Maicee, as well as one other confiscated dog.  The families are asking for cards to be sent, individually, to Celeste Morgan, Maicee Morgan and Remi Phillips, care of Salina Animal Shelter, 329 North 2nd Street, Salina, KS, 67401.  The families are asking that the messages in the cards be ones of support only and not directed at shelter staff in anyway.  The idea behind the campaign is to subtly let people know that the dogs are cared about without engaging in any animosity or vitriol.

For those who want to help more, there is a fundraiser being held to cover legal fees.  The odds that there will be a fair trial in municipal court are slim.  Appeals are expensive and funds must be raised in order for there to be any chance of Celeste and Maicee being about to get out of the shelter alive.

 

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Posted in Breed Identification, Court Cases

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Aberdeen, SD – Pit Bull Ban Discussion

Posted on November 27, 2012 by | 2 comments

During a work session last night, city officials in Aberdeen, South Dakota discussed the possibility of implementing a pit bull ban in the city limits. We learned a few weeks ago that the city council agreed to revisit the city’s animal control ordinance after the issue was brought up by a resident at the last council meeting.

Read more….

 

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Posted in BSL, BSL Proposed, South Dakota

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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: City committee to discuss possible BSL repeal, March 19

Posted on October 17, 2012 by | 1 comment

UPDATE:

EDMONTON – An amendment has been passed at City Council which eliminates the contentious Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) from Edmonton’s Animal Control Bylaw. The BSL section outlined that certain dogs were labelled “restricted” solely based on their breed.

Read it on Global News: Global Edmonton | Council eliminates Edmonton’s restricted breed legislation

The Community Services Committee is set to discuss the possibility of BSL repeal on March 19 at 9:30 AM. View the agenda and supporting documents. The supporting documents are a particularly interesting read.

Please continue to send RESPECTFUL correspondence that highlights the many problems with BSL, offers effective breed-neutral alternatives, and requests the removal of the breed-discriminatory language in the current ordinance.

City of Edmonton, 3rd Floor, City Hall, 1 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 2R7
Phone: 780-442-5311
E-mail: 311@edmonton.ca
Mayor contact form: http://webproxy.edmonton.ca/forms/Contact311/default.aspx
City Councillors: Councillors@edmonton.ca

Sadly, the following news article is fairly inaccurate. Contrary to the article headline, the city report did not make a recommendation to either keep or repeal the city’s BSL. The article made several other inaccurate statements. The supporting documentation at the agenda link, provided above, is a much more informative and accurate primary source.

Change dog breed restrictions: city report

BY TANARA MCLEAN, EDMONTON SUN
FIRST POSTED: FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012 05:07 PM MDT

City dog breed restrictions could be pooched in the near future.

A city committee is set to hear the pros and cons of whether or not changes should be made to current animal control bylaws. […]

As it stands only two breeds are restricted under city laws — the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier. […]

Full article retrieved 3/18/12 from http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/03/16/change-dog-breed-restrictions-city-report

All alerts for Edmonton: http://stopbsl.com/?s=edmonton

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Posted in Canada, Proposal to Repeal, Results of BSL

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Maple Ridge, BC, Canada: BSL proposed

Posted on October 17, 2012 by | Comments Off on Maple Ridge, BC, Canada: BSL proposed

UPDATE:

Maple Wood is moving forward with legislation that would hold owners of pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers, or crosses of any of the breeds to higher regsitration and ownership standards.

While this is not a ban, the need to continue sending POLITE, RESPECTFUL and INFORMATIVE correspondence to Maple Wood officials is still at hand.

Contact info for Maple Ridge:
Mayor and Council, District of Maple Ridge, 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6A9
Tel: 604-463-5221
Fax: 604-467-7329
mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca
Council meeting dates and agendas: http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/council/council_meetings.html
To speak at the next council meeting, read the info on this page: http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/council/contact_council.html

______________________________________________________________

MEETING REMINDER:

Today a City Council Workshop focusing on proposed breed specific legislation will take place at City Hall in the Blaney Room, 9:00 a.m.

_______________________________________________________

UPDATE:

Owners protest breed-specific bylaw in Maple Ridge

By Robert Mangelsdorf – Maple Ridge News
Published: October 03, 2012 5:00 AM

More than 50 pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Dachshunds and even Shih Tzus took to the streets of downtown Maple Ridge with their owners Sunday afternoon to protest a proposed bylaw that would single out certain breeds as aggressive.

Two months ago, District of Maple Ridge staff recommended a bylaw that would single out pit bull breeds, such as Staffordshire terriers and American pit bull terriers, as “aggressive” and charge their owners a $200 licensing fee annually, four times that of other breeds. Pit bulls would also be required to be muzzled when off the owner’s property and would also be subject to higher impound fees.

[…]

Bylaws director Liz Holitzki said singling out pit bulls is designed to encourage responsible pet ownership. While both the district and SPCA receive complaints about problem dogs of all breeds, there is significant public concern about pit bulls, in particular.

[…]The bylaw comes back before Maple Ridge council for discussion at a workshop meeting on Oct. 15, and Munz hopes councillors will have a change of heart and steer clear of any breed-specific language.
http://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/172370101.html

______________________________________________

Proposed Maple Ridge bylaw to single out pit bulls

By Robert Mangelsdorf – Maple Ridge News

Published: July 17, 2012 4:00 PM

District of Maple Ridge staff are recommending a new dog bylaw that singles out pit bulls as “aggressive” and would charge their owners a licensing fee four times that of other breeds.

The fee would apply to pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers, or a cross of any of the breeds.

Pit bull owners would be required to pay a $200 “aggressive dog” licensing fee annually, and require their dog to be muzzled when off the owner’s property. Pit bulls would also be subject to higher impound fees. […]

Full article retrieved 7/17/12 from http://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/162800096.html

Please send your RESPECTFUL correspondence to city council in opposition to a breed-specific bylaw. Please also include viable breed-neutral alternatives.

Contact info for Maple Ridge:
Mayor and Council, District of Maple Ridge, 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6A9
Tel: 604-463-5221
Fax: 604-467-7329
mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca
Council meeting dates and agendas: http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/council/council_meetings.html
To speak at the next council meeting, read the info on this page: http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/council/contact_council.html

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Newark, OH: Council may consider “compromise” over breed-specific ordinance

Posted on October 15, 2012 by | 1 comment

MEETING REMINDER:

City Council will have it’s first reading of the revised vicious dog ordinance this evening at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall.  Please be in attendance to show support.

Newark, OH:  Council Meeting Reminder:

Council will discuss today two separate communications received pertaining to the request by citizens to repeal it’s breed specific ordinance.    Formal discussion of the proposal is not on today’s agenda, however a letter from Katie Bray Barnett, Esq., an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, supporting the repeal of Newark’s breed discriminatory law encourages the City to enact a more progressive reckless owner law.  Additionally, an anonymous email received by all council members from a ‘csunbean@aol.com’ has requested that council members schedule a first ever meeting for pit-bull attack victims.

Both of the communications are on today’s meeting agenda.  Residents are encouraged to attend.  There is time designated for comments from citizens directly following the “communications received” portion of the meeting.

The meeting starts at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall. 217 Cynthia Street.
Thank you to Jodi Preis at Bless the Bullys.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Continue reading →

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Posted in BSL, Ohio, Proposal to Repeal

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Maple Ridge, BC, Canada: BSL proposed

Posted on October 15, 2012 by | Comments Off on Maple Ridge, BC, Canada: BSL proposed

MEETING REMINDER:

Today a City Council Workshop focusing on proposed breed specific legislation will take place at City Hall in the Blaney Room, 9:00 a.m.

UPDATE:

Owners protest breed-specific bylaw in Maple Ridge

By Robert Mangelsdorf – Maple Ridge News
Published: October 03, 2012 5:00 AM

More than 50 pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Dachshunds and even Shih Tzus took to the streets of downtown Maple Ridge with their owners Sunday afternoon to protest a proposed bylaw that would single out certain breeds as aggressive.

Two months ago, District of Maple Ridge staff recommended a bylaw that would single out pit bull breeds, such as Staffordshire terriers and American pit bull terriers, as “aggressive” and charge their owners a $200 licensing fee annually, four times that of other breeds. Pit bulls would also be required to be muzzled when off the owner’s property and would also be subject to higher impound fees.

[…]

Bylaws director Liz Holitzki said singling out pit bulls is designed to encourage responsible pet ownership. While both the district and SPCA receive complaints about problem dogs of all breeds, there is significant public concern about pit bulls, in particular.

[…]The bylaw comes back before Maple Ridge council for discussion at a workshop meeting on Oct. 15, and Munz hopes councillors will have a change of heart and steer clear of any breed-specific language.
http://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/172370101.html

______________________________________________

Proposed Maple Ridge bylaw to single out pit bulls

By Robert Mangelsdorf – Maple Ridge News

Published: July 17, 2012 4:00 PM

District of Maple Ridge staff are recommending a new dog bylaw that singles out pit bulls as “aggressive” and would charge their owners a licensing fee four times that of other breeds.

The fee would apply to pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers, or a cross of any of the breeds.

Pit bull owners would be required to pay a $200 “aggressive dog” licensing fee annually, and require their dog to be muzzled when off the owner’s property. Pit bulls would also be subject to higher impound fees. […]

Full article retrieved 7/17/12 from http://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/162800096.html

Please send your RESPECTFUL correspondence to city council in opposition to a breed-specific bylaw. Please also include viable breed-neutral alternatives.

Contact info for Maple Ridge:
Mayor and Council, District of Maple Ridge, 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6A9
Tel: 604-463-5221
Fax: 604-467-7329
mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca
Council meeting dates and agendas: http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/council/council_meetings.html
To speak at the next council meeting, read the info on this page: http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/council/contact_council.html

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