Pet law enforcement

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Pet law enforcement

Posted : 2/10/2008 12:20:41 PM

Just been reading the posts about the new spay/neuter bill in CA, BSL, etc., and it seems to me that if communities would just start enforcing the laws already on the books, they wouldn't need new laws! How many communities have 100% compliance on licensing or rabies vax? I haven't read the CA bill, but most of the similiar bills have high prices for the "exceptions", and lots of hurdles for the permits. The folks that feel the most pain are the already law abiding people.

In Albequerque, I believe it was, the cost per year to keep an unneutered show puppy was 150 dollars, and this can make it quite costly if a person has several dogs. The question is, how will the authorities know? Are the veterinarians supposed to report that their clients are harboring an intact pet? Won't that make people do their own vaccinations, and perhaps neglect regular care? Will the animal police or regular police be required to visit training centers, boarding facilities, dog shows, or your homes?

Most of the people on this forum are probably highly visible in their communities, and as a result will be the easiest to target. Of course most of you already spay or neuter and give your pets better than average care, but what if you accept a year old rescue? Will you be fined if you're out socializing or in a class?

The people that cause the most unwanted puppies and kittens will still be out there! They don't respect the leash laws, they don't do vaccinations or other veterinary care, and they sure don't spay and neuter. If the law does find them, they dump the current dog, and later get a new pup. If one of their dogs has puppies, anything that can't be given away will be dumped as well. I fail to see how these new laws are going to have much of an impact on the overall number of unwanted pets.

What are other's feelings about this? Education is hardly working because we can't seem to get to the worst offenders. Way too many ignorant people own pets, and truly believe some of the old wives tales about letting a female have at least one litter. Maybe if we all volunteered to teach some pet education in the public schools? Good, ethical breeders are breeding fewer and fewer litters, and the "designer" breeders, and "for profit" breeders are filling the vacuum. Right now some of the people that do their homework may wait a year or two for a pet quality pup from a good breeder and with the new laws it will probably just get worse!

Xebby

Posted : 2/10/2008 3:04:56 PM

I live right outside of Albuquerque and often take Giz to Petco and the dog parks in Albuquerque. Even with the spay/neuter/microchip/vaccine laws I really don't see a whole lot of owner follow the rules. Not once have I even been asked to show proof that Gizmo has all of them. I carry around her vet records in my pocket when I'm out and about with her but have never needed to show them. Even had a police who was patrolling the park stop and pet her but didn't seem concerned about those matters. I still see puppies in pet shops and the newspapers for sale and I still see clients at my work bring in poorly bred dogs that they bought from breeders in Albuquerque. All that is needed is a permit and then it's alright to sell and breed puppies. Then there is also the concern that puppies are brought in from places outside of Albuquerque to be sold in pet shops so they do not need a permit to sell puppies if they were not bred in the city. There are so many loopholes in the system that it's hard to really control what is going on. The shelters are still full, the number of unwanted animals put to sleep is still the same as it ever was and people are still breeding their dogs for profit. I really don't know if making new laws is the answer.

Vets are not required to report intact animals who don't have a permit. The vet really can't release any information about the client without the clients permission, just like with human doctor patients. Even in the town I live in we have rabies vaccination laws but to be honest there really is no way of telling what dogs are up to date with the vaccine. The only law I have seen in forced is the limit of pets a person can own per property. Where I live it's 2 per household but varies on the size of the property. But what confuses me is that what happens if a person has more then 2 dogs and they are given a warning, do they send the rest to the pound? I don't know if there will ever be an answer to the problems and with what I have seen in my job and in my personal experience whatever is in place now just doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

denise m

Posted : 2/10/2008 4:20:24 PM

Most bylaws are reactive not proactive/preventative IMO. When there is a complaint, attack or injury that is reported, the authorities will step in a levy their fines, lay their charges etc., but it always seems to be after the fact. We have been living under a Breed Ban for a few years now and it is quite common to see bully breeds being walked unmuzzled, in parks off leash as well as bully breeds obviously born after the ban. No one bothers, but if a banned breed is involved in an attack or the neighbour complains they get the book thrown at them. For the bully breeds this is a good thing! It basically means that despite the ban, if you are a responsible owner you can have the breed - just make sure it stays out of trouble.