An Open Letter To City Council

by JOHN YATES

The American Sporting Dog Alliance

http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org

Dear Mayor Leppert, Mayor Pro Tem Garcia and Members of City Council:

It is time to move beyond discussion of a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for the City of Dallas and search for constructive, non-divisive and effective solutions to the problems faced by the city shelter and animal control program.

The evidence shows clearly that the proposed Dallas mandatory spay and neuter ordinance is ill-conceived, unfair and penalizes people who do not contribute to the problems. It is doomed to failure, and similar programs have failed everywhere they have been tried, including in neighboring Fort Worth. We have established that it is a clear product of animal rights ideology that has infiltrated and taken over local advisory boards, and that this ideology has as its ultimate goal the elimination of the private ownership of animals. We also have demonstrated that there is a rapidly growing body of veterinary medical research that shows significant increases in serious and potential fatal health issues that result from pet sterilization, especially at a young age. The record also makes it clear that these kinds of ordinances will divide the community in bitter controversy and expose the city to costly and counterproductive lawsuits.

But that's only half the story.

The other half of the story is how to fix the very real problems in the Dallas animal control and shelter system. Dallas does have some very real problems. Too many dogs and cats are entering the shelter, and far too many are being euthanized. Moreover, current ordinances that would significantly improve this situation are not being enforced.

Here are my specific recommendations for the Dallas animal control program, which are based on 40 years of experience working professionally with dogs, taking an active role in the rescue movement for almost as long, and being a veteran investigative reporter of animal welfare issues.

They are:

1. First and foremost, truly local voices must be heard to explore and discover solutions. The city and Metroplex animal control commissions have been quite literally taken over by animal rights extremists who are closely tied to radical national organizations. Their views do not reflect the values of the vast majority of the people in Dallas. City Council should immediately appoint a new citizens' advisory board that is balanced to reflect the views and values of the community. The board should represent all neighborhoods of the city, the general public and the stakeholders in this issue. Dog owners and organizations that represent them have been pointedly excluded from the process thus far. These are the people who will be adversely affected by any new regulations, BUT they also are the people who know how to find solutions to the problems.

2. The animal shelter and animal control division has been floundering in the absence of a director for more than a year. City Council should make it a top priority to hire a full-time director very quickly, so that administrative policies can be developed to solve some of the problems in the system. In the absence of dedicated and dynamic leadership, any plan is doomed to fail.

3. City Council should formally endorse the no-kill philosophy, which means that any dog or cat that is adoptable will not be euthanized. A plan should be endorsed to achieve this goal within three years, and this is a very realistic timetable based on the experiences of other large cities.

4. The national spokesperson for the no-kill philosophy movement is Nathan Winograd. He should be City Council's primary source in finding a new animal control director and setting up a program. The no-kill philosophy is based on the welfare of animals, but also shows respect for the role animals play in human life. Winograd formerly was the director of San Francisco’s shelter program, and made miraculous improvements there. San Francisco achieved 100-percent no-kill of healthy animals in just one year, and reduced euthanasia of ill but treatable animals by 50-percent. If San Francisco can do it, Dallas should accept nothing less. If you would like to learn more, here is an article from the highly respected San Francisco Examiner newspaper from last October: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/10/02/petscol.DTL.

5. Dallas shelter euthanasia rates are wholly unacceptable. It is very obvious that many adoptable dogs are being needlessly killed. This problem can be solved NOW. First of all, the shelter should close off admissions for dogs originating outside the City of Dallas, except on a "space available" basis. Suburban communities must address their own problems. Dallas can be an asset to these suburban communities, but not at the price of euthanizing many adoptable dogs. A regional solution is needed, but a Dallas solution must come first. Second, alliances must be formed NOW with rescue groups in other states, especially in the Northeast and upper Midwest. These rescue groups go to many shelters in the South to take back animals that are adoptable, and hundreds of thousands of dogs are saved from many public shelters as close as Oklahoma City, Arkansas and southern Missouri. These groups can help many dogs at the Dallas shelter NOW. In addition, creative solutions can be explored once a new shelter director is named, such as developing a local foster care program for adoptable animals.

6. In many states, the combination of enforcing existing ordinances and voluntary no-cost and low-cost spay and neuter problems have reduced shelter admissions and euthanasia rates by more than 50%. Dallas has these kinds of programs, but the lack of a shelter director and a commitment from City Council have minimized their effectiveness. Stepped up enforcement of existing ordinances (see below) would pay for the cost of developing a very effective no-cost voluntary spay/neuter program in poor neighborhoods where the problems is the most significant. If necessary, a dog license fee increase (perhaps $5 across the board) could be utilized to create a special fund for this purpose.

7. Data for citations and fines shows that enforcement of current ordinances has been minimal, at best. Immediate supervision should be given to animal control officers to blanket problem neighborhoods with INTENSE enforcement of existing licensing and leash law violations. This can be done NOW, and the only reason it hasn't happened is because of a lack of leadership. This also will provide extra funding to pay for voluntary spay/neuter programs and to assist rescue groups to help more dogs from Dallas.

8. The goal of enforcement should not be to bust people. It should be to ensure compliance and cultivate responsible pet ownership. This approach can include full or partial fine forgiveness for someone who comes into compliance with licensing and rabies vaccination codes within a week or two. It also can include sharply escalating fines for repeat offenders. For dogs and cats that repeatedly end up at the shelter, a “three strikes, you’re out” policy can be adopted: After the third time a dog or cat is brought to the shelter for roaming, sterilization is mandated before the owner can get it back. These are the dogs and cats most likely to have unplanned litters, and that is where enforcement should be targeted.

9. The Dallas Metroplex is home to some wonderful rescue groups who have worked miracles with limited resources because of their true dedication to helping animals. It would be very appropriate for the City of Dallas to devote a portion of increased revenues to assist these groups in helping more adoptable animals from the Dallas shelter.

10. One of the problems at the Dallas shelter is that bad criteria are being used to classify animals as unadoptable. Dogs of breeds considered undesirable are unfairly blacklisted, and unrealistic temperament tests are being used to sentence animals to death. These standards must be revised immediately.

11. Dallas has truly a state-of-the-art shelter facility, but it has a reputation of being very user-unfriendly. Hours of operation should be adjusted to include evenings and weekends, adoption criteria should be made less restrictive, outreach efforts must be made to community groups, alliances should be formed with cooperative pet store chains such as PetCo and PetSmart (these companies help place thousands of shelter animals nationwide), and print, radio, television and Internet resources should be developed.

12. City Council also must confront some very difficult and sensitive cultural issues that plague many areas of the city, especially in South Dallas. In these areas, the drug culture especially is contributing to the problem, as are "macho" cultural values that think it is ok to allow dogs to "do their thing." This means two things. First, City Council must work with local community groups and leaders to reach local people and help them to understand the problem and the brutality that is being perpetuated. Second, animal control officers must be willing to enforce animal ordinances in areas where it is just plain scary and possibly dangerous, even if this means securing police protection to do their job. A big part of the problem is associated with the "gangbanger" or "gangsta" street and drug cultures. Other big cities have successfully dealt with this issue, and Dallas can, too. BUT it will take great political courage by City Council!

If those steps are taken, I truly believe that Dallas will see major improvements in the animal control and shelter problems it faces within a couple of years, if not much sooner.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance would be happy to assist you in exploring and developing a realistic plan to solve the problems you face with your animal control program and shelter.

Thank you for listening.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance is the unified voice of sporting dog owners and professionals in America. We work at the grassroots level to defeat unfair legislation and policies that are harmful to dogs and the people who own and work with them. Our work to protect your rights is supported solely by the donations of our members. Your participation and membership are vital to our success. Please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.