Tails in the News
New dog ordinances curb BSL
by Laren Lewis
Breed-oriented laws are no longer a threat to Chicagoland dog guardians thanks to the efforts of Alderman Eugene Schulter and his ad hoc committee of local dog experts, who have now been formed into a standing committee on companion animal welfare and public safety. “We believe that [breed-specific legislation] is dead in Chicago—there’s a huge understanding now,” says Cynthia Bathurst, co-chair of the committee that is made up of representatives from various organizations such as Chicago Area Shelter Alliance (CASA), Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, Chicago Area Pet Trainers Association (CAPTA), ASPCA, Commission of Animal Care and Control, Dog Advisory Work Group, International Kennel Club of Chicago, and PAWS Chicago. The Chicago City Council voted last month to implement all but two of the dog ordinance proposals originally introduced by Alderman Schulter as an alternative to BSL. The Council agreed to require city licensing and strict operating standards for pet service providers such as groomers, boarding and daycare facilities, and guard dog services. Animals being kenneled or attending doggie day care are required to be microchipped.
“When a [guardian] entrusts a kennel or grooming facility with a pet, they should feel that their pet will be staying in a clean cage and receiving an adequate supply of food and water. I believe that the ordinance will protect animals and make sure pet care facilities are taking full responsibility for the animals they are boarding,” says Alderman Schulter.
Additionally stiffer fines will be imposed for guardians who are found repeatedly retrieving the same dog from Animal Care and Control. Fees for any dog picked up that has not been spayed or neutered will increase to $50; $10 for altered dogs.
Proposals for mandatory microchipping and tethering limits have been deferred until the September council meeting in order to better educate aldermen on the importance of the measures. According to Bathurst the main resistance to the microchipping measure is that it is compulsory, not voluntary. But microchipping is important, she says, especially for lost dogs. “One thing this mandate would do for us is make it easier for the city to return pets.” Bathurst adds that the tethering proposal was put on hold due to a question with the wording of the measure. “Hopefully we’ll have that fixed and bring it back to the next council meeting,” she says. “We ought to be able to resolve that technical language problem...We want to educate aldermen why tethering is a problem.” According to committee chairman Steve Dale, the goal to lessen the number of dog attacks in Chicago is contingent on reducing the number of dogs that are tethered. Not only is it an issue of public safety, he says, “It’s a humane issue.”
For more information contact Alderman’s Schulter’s office at (773) 348-8400 or email Ward47@cityofchicago.org.
Chicago students honored
Four eighth-grade students from Logan Square’s Brentano Math and Science Academy were recently honored by State Rep. Toni Berrios (D) and the ASPCA for successfully proposing a resolution to the Illinois General Assembly. Natalia Cancel, Lysette Garcia, Yaritza Rosario, and Jasmine Zapata won a district-wide contest sponsored by Berrios for researching, developing, and proposing a new measure that was adopted as House Resolution 1026, the No Canine Profiling Resolution. The resolution urges the state to discourage municipalities from enacting breed-specific dog bans, establish programs that educate residents, and support laws to target irresponsible dog guardians. “I think it’s wonderful that the students were given an opportunity to participate in a contest that helps them to develop higher-order thinking skills in relation to everyday life,” says principal Georgette Watson. “This is an important topic for pet lovers and one in which Brentano students addressed very well. We at Brentano Academy are very proud of them and they are very proud of themselves.”
Suburb Repeals Breed-Specific Ordinance
Grant Bark Park Now Open
South Loop’s Grant Bark Park officially opened July 15 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration. The South Loop Dog P.A.C. (Park Action Co-op) converted a one-and-a-half-acre plot between Columbus and Michigan avenues (near the 11th Street Bridge) into an official Chicago Park District-approved dog-friendly area. The park boasts a fully fenced, double-gated play area along with new landscaping, lighting, a people/pooch drinking fountain, and a walkway made from commemorative bricks. For more information, visit www.SouthLoopDogPac.org.State toughens dangerous dog laws
In an effort to make dog guardians responsible for their pet’s actions, Gov. Blagojevich recently signed three new laws that toughen the penalties for guardians of vicious or dangerous dogs if their pets attack someone. The legislation also bans convicted drug dealers and violent offenders from using dogs as weapons and increases penalties for dog fighting—making the measure the first of its kind in the nation. House Bill 4238 increases the criminal penalty to a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison if the guardian of a vicious dog fails to either keep his dog in an enclosure or spay/neuter the animal and the pet gets loose and causes serious physical injury or death to someone. House Bill 2946, prohibits felons from having an unaltered dog, or any dog that has been declared vicious or dangerous, in an attempt to keep them from using the animals as weapons. Additionally, felons must microchip their dogs for identification. The prohibition lasts for ten years after the felon has been released from custody. House Bill 4711 increases penalties for dog fighting. Attending a dog fight is now a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense, carrying a sentence of up to one year in jail, and a Class 4 felony for any subsequent offenses, carrying a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Stop China’s dog slaughter
Last month an outbreak of rabies in China’s Yunnan Province prompted the government-ordered massacre of more than 50,000 dogs. The brutal killings were the result of the country’s poor animal rights laws and disease prevention. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention only 3% of their dogs are vaccinated. The HSUS has contacted Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong to offer assistance in establishing effective rabies control programs and humane methods to combat outbreaks in the country. For more information on how you can help, visit www.HSUS.or/China_dogs.
