Madison (WI) to Consider MSN, Increases to Dog Licensee Fees and Tethering Restrictions Please forward this information to club members in the Madison, WI area. November 25, 2014 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* On December 2nd, the Madison Common Council will be considering three ordinances that will have a direct impact on dog owners, fanciers, breeders, and sportsmen in the city. Residents and those that participate in dog events in Madison are strongly encouraged to contact the council regarding these proposals. Click here to view the names of the council members, and also a tool to help you determine which alder represents you. Madison Common Council Meeting Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Time: 6:30 pm Location: Room 201, City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd Madison, WI Summary: Three proposals have passed the Board of Health and will be voted on by the City Council on December 2nd. File #35827 – This proposal begins with a statement that the city is experiencing an “overwhelming incident of unaltered dogs running at large and causing injury…”. It states that unaltered animals “exhibit hormone induced aggression that may increase incidents of attacks.” It claims that altering aggressive animals will “prevent the possibility of aggressive traits [resulting from] breeding of these animals.” As a result of these statements, the proposal states that the Madison Dane County Board of Public Health may order a dog to be spayed or neutered within 30 days if any of the following occur: 1) The dog is found running at large on three separate occasions. 2) The dog is acting aggressively and is running at large (it is not clear how “aggressive” would be defined or determined). 3) The dog has caused injury to a person or animal. “Injury” is defined in current law as any time a dog bites, attacks, or otherwise injures. This could potentially mean that if a dog bites someone – regardless of the severity – the dog may have to be sterilized. 4)The dog causes injury to a person on the owner’s property.Again, the term injury” could include any bite. There are no exemptions for a dog that has been provoked or is protecting its owner or property.There also appears to be no consideration for the age of the dog ( e.g. the nip of a teething puppy.)Noncompliance is subject to a $2,000 fine, and each day of the violation would be considered a separate offense. The AKC is extremely concerned with this proposal.Mandatory spay/neuter is not an appropriate solution to at-large dog concerns. Better alternatives include stronger enforcement of leash and containment laws that directly address the problem of loose dogs.Breed-neutral dangerous dog laws are more appropriate and effective than mandatory spay neuter laws that potentially punish responsible dog owners, harm dogs, and have been found to be extremely difficult to enforce. File #35833 – This proposal would increase the license fees for both altered and intact dogs and cats. Beginning in 2016, the license fee for altered dogs would increase from $15 to $20. The fee for intact dogs would be more than doubled from $20 to $50. Current law requires a license for every dog that is at least five months of age. File #35826 – The proposal significantly expands the definition of “neglect” to include failing to provide at least 10 feet of rope or chain when a dog that is tethered “unsupervised” outside. It also would include leaving a dog outside unsupervised for more than 15 minutes without access to adequate shelter. It does not appear to allow exemptions for dog training or field trials. Also, requiring an arbitrary length of tether could in fact pose harm to dogs in some circumstances. A better approach is to avoid arbitrary requirements in new laws, and rather to focus on specific circumstances where negligence or lack of responsible care has led to the harm of a dog. This proposal also amends the definition of “cruel” to include separating a puppy from its mother before it is seven weeks of age unless the separation “is authorized by a veterinarian who has conducted a physical assessment of the puppy and determined that the separation is in the puppy’s best interest.” AKC Government Relations and the Dog Federation of Wisconsin are working to educate legislators about our concerns. We also expect File #35830, to regulate home dog breeding and sales, to return in an amended form in the future and will continue to update you as that measure progresses. For more information, contact the Dog Federation of Wisconsin at [email protected] or AKC Government Relations at (919) 816-3720 or [email protected]
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 00:37:32 +0000
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