Pet Ordinance Should Be Passed
Yeah, I said it. It needed to be said. I said it. Jump for my reasoning:
(Props to Dave Levinthal at the DMN City Hall blog for breaking down the issue for me.)
As proposed, Dallas expanded animal control ordinance would mandate:
* A charge of $70 per animal for breeders to obtain permits. Previously, the city planned to charge $500 per animal.
My take: Sure. Good. $70. In.
* A single house be limited to six cats and/or dogs. People owning more than a half-acre of land would be allowed eight – something not contained in earlier versions of the proposal. People who today own a greater number of animals could apply to the city for grandfathering, allowing them to retain their animals without penalty.
That’s still too effin many, so I’m clearly okay with that being AT LEAST the limit. Three cats, three dogs, that’s the limit. Anything else, you’re running a kennel.
* Dogs and cats be spayed or neutered. But the ordinance would provide numerous exceptions to a previously proposed mandatory spay-neuter provision. Dogs and cats younger than 6 months old, a service animal or the property of a licensed breeder would be exempt from spaying or neutering regulations. A veterinarian may also certify that an animal shouldn’t be spayed or neutered for health reasons, the briefing document states.
All this sound reasonable. Don’t want to spay or neuter your animal, don’t own one.
* The city could seize, then impound a dog suspected of causing bodily injury to a person until after a hearing to determine the dog’s fate. Now, such dogs are quarantined for 10 days, then returned to their owners in many cases.
I am clearly for this. I would add fining and perhaps flogging the owner of said animal.
* Tethering unsupervised dogs to trees or poles be prohibited except “for a period no longer than necessary for the owner to complete a temporary task.”
Again, no problem with this. Don’t see why anyone would have one.
* Owners must provide at least 150 square feet of space and a “building or properly designed dog house” for a dog confined outdoors.
Ditto.
So tell me again why this is so contentious? The dog breeders, I understand. They’ve got to gripe because their money-making process is being threatened. (I don’t care, but I understand.) But for “pet owner” advocates to get riled up about this? It makes no sense to me.
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I wonder if the city will be anymore effective in collecting these animal permit fees and fines than the $240 million in traffic fines and court costs they are currently owed? I have my doubts.
I have a problem with a tethering provision: what in the hell is a “temporary task?” Like going to work for 8 or 9 hours? That’s temporary, as I do plan on returning. Eventually. That section in the ordinance is way too vague to ever be enforced.
Most of these provisions are good things (I have problems with Government demanding that I castrate my dog, though), but they are simply not enforceable especially given the city’s already poor record in enforcing the existing ordnance.
I am truly surprised no one on the council screamed racism/classism. It isn’t rich white people keeping intact male pit bulls tied with chains.
How about this? Why don’t we just kill all of our pets unless they don’t suck? Won’t that take care of the problem? Case in point: My wife’s cat is old. Great cat for the first 12 years or so, but now he’s taken to eating random things and throwing them up. It happens about twice a week. He’s already done it twice this week, and if it happens again by Saturday, he’s got a date with the sleepneedle. That will be one less pet that sucks. Who’s with me.
The problem (for me anyway, and for most of the breeders) is with the $70 permit, and the mandatory spaying/neutering. First though, I must correct you on one thing – most breeders/showers do not do such as a “money-making process”. Those who register their pets w/the AKC and breed simply to improve the breed and show their dogs never recuperate their costs. And having to shell out another $70 per dog is astronomical and ridiculous. And what about the part where the city won’t be issuing these permits in residentially zoned areas?
And what if I want to have one dog that I’m going to take to shows – never breed. I now have to pay the city $70 just to keep that dog intact? Ridiculous and absurd.
Eric
I’m just throwing this out there but could it be contentious because you make it so. It is obvious you are very emotional about this issue, which in many case dog lovers agree with you…with the exception of the flogging. Just as with any issue, there are good and bad dog owners. Yet even the most ardent dog owners have had a dog crawl under a fence, the pool man let them out, or some other unforseen circumstance.
Sometime dogs/cats are the innocent victims of abuse. I assume you would agree that any 14 year old caught harming an animal should be thrown in jail until a hear is held. The same should hold true for ANY human that HARMS another human, be it a bar fight, domestic disturbance, or a jealous rage. First strike, you are out. I assume that there is no grey area between a Chihuahua
and a Doberman bite. An injury is an injury and thus should be punished right away.
I am aware of your statistics that around
six million children are eaten alive by pit bulls in Richardson alone everyday. I understand that something needs to be done about it and I think the city is on the right track. However, please don’t paint all dogs/cats and owners as a group of people out to destroy the world. And I know this is off topic and the amanda/bethany patrol will be after my ass, but some might say the same set of rules (causing bodily injury etc) should apply to the Bush family upont their return to Dallas.
One last thing, I think it is always wise to teach children how to greet and meet a dog which is by extending the back of their hand and letting the dog get to know them. Flame on.
I’m with you, Xavier.
Xavier, you and your buddy Eric better hope your kids never catch you puking up your Geriatric-Os when you’re living in their spare room…..
Dallas City Council Meeting 2014:
- Dogs must be groomed and bathed weekly
- Pets may not use cell phones in school zones
- Un-chipped dogs and owners fined $500 a day
- Pets not allowed to eat any meat products – soy only
- Vocal cords and nails must be removed from any pet
But seriously, Eric. Dallas has more rules and laws than most U.S. cities. My mom is terrified she’s going to get a ticket because her rain sensor isn’t properly working.
The same set of rules? You mean Dub-ya can’t tether a pit bull to the front of his own liberry on his way in? Exactly why did he sit around for eight years with this dumb job if there weren’t any perks?
Kidding aside, having lived next to the cat lady, I applaud this. The smell of uncleaned, multiple litter boxes and rancid tuna in July wafting downwind is something I suppose you can get used to (I mean, she did), but doesn’t do anything for your outdoor party-planning, nor your love-life.
Xavier
If you are really serious, and I can’t tell if you are. With your wife’s permission, you should take the cat to a no kill animal shelter and let it live out it’s years there.
Whatever it takes to keep the carpet clean.
Thank you publicnewssense!!! Eric, I’m really disappointed in you. A little throw up is no big deal. I bet you and Xavier have both done it. Maybe when you lose control of your bladder and colon your children will make a date with the sleepneedle. Or at least put “DNR” on your hospital chart.
As a dog & a cat owner I submit that these new rules on breeding fees $ spay/neuter are not going to fix Dallas’ animal control problems. The city of Dallas is further penalizing responsible pet owner while the people who let there pets run loose, don’t innoculate & don’t license will continue to do so. My neighborhood is full of them. And because I show my dog I have to pay $30 for an unaltered dog license & now a $70 breeders fee. Maybe I should stop trying to comply. It goes without saying I won’t have to worry about enforcement. They don’t enforce the existing rules so I doubt sriously they are going to enforce the new ones. There’s only 8 animal control officers for the entire city.
Two things:
1. The idea that telling people they can’t have dangerous animals and fining them for doing so will soon lead to Draconian laws that make owning pets impossible, not to mention infringe on precious civil liberties, is silly, specious reasoning.
2. I can sympathize with Xavier, can’t I? I mean, I’ve paid more than $1000 to have plastic surgically removed from my cat’s stomach. Twice. (Once a cap on a door stop, once a game piece from the boardgame Trouble. Hence, the cat’s nickname, “Trouble.”) But just because I’m an animal-loving softie doesn’t mean I can’t suggest others shouldn’t learn from my mistakes. The world needs more heartless cranks. Like Tim.
nice job, eric, of cutting away all the extra stuff in this “debate” and distilling it to what matters. i think the city council did the right thing.
but i’m confused by angela hunt. doesn’t it seem like most of the folks in District 14 — east dallas, greenville, downtown, etc — would’ve expected a yes vote on this?
Just one more thing the government will mishandle, misappropriate, and misgovern. great. can’t wait.
There’s another problem — the way that they got around to the number of animals. According to the new ordinance, I can have six Great Danes in a 500-square foot condo, but I can’t have more than six Malteses in a 10,000-square foot mansion. Think it would have been better to proportion the # of animals according to the residence’s square footage.
2 points:
1. When you outlaw pets, only outlaws will have pets.
2. You can have my un-fixed, horny pit pull who is tied to a tree all day when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
To publicnewssense and JJ and others of a similar ilk: I hope my kids have enough strength to do so when the time comes; it was tough for us with my grandmother. But fair point on the no kill animal shelter, though it really just makes it their problem and not mine, which seems like a lame decision.
i’m with ya X-Man…i love dogs (hate cats, but that’s for a different thread and i’m not against others owning cats) but the reality is my beloved The Chunk, Chunker, His Chunkness or El Chunkerino, if you’re not…is still just a pet/guest in my home and a very expensive one at that
recent trip to the vet to find out why he’s been so lethargic of late showed he’s diabetic, anemic and has a thyroid condition
all of which is gonna mean medicating him daily for the rest of his life, which will no doubt be another 10 years…but it’ll be worth every penny because of the joy he brings my family
still when the time comes that i as a (somewhat) rational adult human being see that my canine’s quality of life has deteriorated to a point where it’s no longer fun for any of us, i’ll put him down
and i hope all of you can do the same for your pets…it’s humane and best for all parties involved
but what do i know?
I just may have the Dallas City Council pass a law restricting Eric from referring to me as silly.
Eric..I don’t know what point you are trying to make in your 1. comment above.
Pet lovers agree that pets should be kept safe from harm and from harming others. What dangerous animals are you talking about being fined for? This is news to me.
Can you point it out or give us a link to this.
People shoule be educated to know that purchasing a pet, even at the pound, the costs do not stop there. Animals, like humans get sick. They are taken to a vet and taken care of.
Xavier, taking your cat to an no kill animal shelter will not be a burden to them. These places get a lot of financial help from other animal lovers for just such a thing. Please don’t put your cat down just because it threw up on your carpet. A vet could take care of that, but you seem so put out by it that you want to have it put down. Why not take the option.
Look Eric thinks everyone is silly, so I wouldn’t give that a bit of worry. It helps him feel macho and part of the boys club to bash animals and animal lovers. We are all a bunch of wusses to him, even if we take awesome care of our pets.
Anyway, give Operation Kindness a call and if they request a donation to take the cat in, and you don’t want to fork it out, have them get in touch with me. Please make sure that your wife is okay with this.
It is not a lame decision. Some folks might consider it lame that a cat who has given your family unconditional love for 12 years is going to be put to death for throwing up on your carpet.
1) If Dallas allows dogs on patios at restaurants, but doesn’t allow smoking in restaurants, will dogs be allowed to smoke on the patios of restaurants?
Jack,
“It is not a lame decision. Some folks might consider it lame that a cat who has given your family unconditional love for 12 years is going to be put to death for throwing up on your carpet.”
Ummmm, you know he’s talking about a cat, right? Unconditional may be pushing it a bit. Hell, love is probably too much to expect. 12 years of coldhearted indifference would be a more appropriate description.
Don’t kid yourself, that cat would put you to sleep for lesser reasons.
Dallasite.
Okay, I get it. This cat is evil. It threw up on the owners carpet. If it were not for some level of compassion coming from somewhere why would the ****ing cat be in the house for 12 years?
Why someone would keep something so evil for 12 years is beyond me. So Xavier, kill the ****ing cat if you want to. If it makes you and Eric to talk about it, it will make you feel 20 times better to kill it.
I was just trying to point out an option. That is all. Jesus Christ, who is the ****ing pussy here?
1. DM, I couldn’t love you harder.
2. JJ has been drawn offsides by, like, four hard counts. Unabated to the quarterback.
3. Angela Hunt makes her case in a post today. Let’s move the conversation there. It’s a good one to have.
Looks like Eric’s a card-carrying PeTA freak. Can’t capitalize the ‘e’ in PeTA – because ethics is one thing they DON’T have! Their motto is “better dead than fed”! 97% kill rate. Now coming soon to the Dallas shelter system. Way to go guys.
Xavier;
The needle thing is too expensive, do the right thing and use it for target practice.
But at least give it a 10 foot head start.
ps; don’t use hollow points, they kill too quickly