Dallas Mandatory Spay and Neuter Ordinance
- From: John Yates <asda@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 17:59:59 -0500
An Open Letter To City Council
About Dallas Spay/Neuter Mandate
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.
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