Tails in the News
Affordable services available at 13th annual Animals Day event
Operation SPOT will be hosting its annual Hope for the Animals Day event on August 19 at Tower Grove Park. The event, now in its 13th year, offers the opportunity for residents to get their dogs and cats microchipped and/or vaccinated for $10. Additionally, Dr. Daniel Smith from the Animal Hospital of Washington will be on hand to answer questions about pet health, nutrition, and behavior, and Pastor Teresa Mithen from St. John’s Episcopal Church will be giving blessings to dogs and cats and rewarding them with St. Francis medals. Dogs will also be able to get their nails trimmed for free, and guardians can browse a number of booths operated by local animal business owners. For more information visit OpSpot.org or turn to page 21.
Dogs and people can dine together after passage of new bill
St. Louis has officially become the first city in Missouri to allow dogs to join people at outdoor restaurants. The new law, which passed in mid-July, allows cities and counties to control the allowance of pets in outdoor seating areas. The previous law prohibited any animal in the entire state from entering an outdoor restaurant, but the new measure allows dogs, cats, and any other domestic animal not normally kept in a cage to join their human friends for a meal. The law excludes gerbils, hamsters, birds, fish, and turtles. Mayor Francis Slay, who was a large supporter of the bill, said it was not harmful to have a well-behaved dog sitting outside at a restaurant, and the pet people of St. Louis seem to agree, according to local pet personality Lisbeth Tanz, co-host of Animal Tails radio show.
“The response of dog lovers in St. Louis is a resounding ‘Finally!’” she says. “This ordinance now empowers restaurant owners with the choice of allowing customers to bring dogs to their outdoor dining areas—possibly increasing their business as a result. For dog guardians, this opens up a now legal way to incorporate their furry family members in even more of life’s urban activities and brings most of St. Louis in line with other major U.S. cities in terms of dog friendliness in public places.”
Tanz says while it is unlikely that this legislation will have an impact on state-wide animal legislation, it is possible that it may have some effect.
“Missouri is still an agriculturally based state where the legal status of animals has them viewed as property, not as four-legged family members,” she says. “However, inroads, such as the new Doggie Dining Ordinance, are bound to create ripple effects across the state—at least in small measure.”
Pet friendly license plates now available
The Missouri State Humane Association is now offering license plates that contain animal-related artwork and a tag line that says “I’m Pet Friendly.” The specialty plates only cost $25, and $20 from each sale is placed in a fund that pays for spay and neuter services for dogs and cats across the state of Missouri. The plates can be ordered through MoSHA’s website at MoStateHumane.org.
Animal nutrition center opens at
St. Louis zoo
The St. Louis Zoo is now home to the $5.3 million Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center, which includes a climate-controlled pantry that holds a giant refrigerator, freezer, and multiple silos for pellets. It is hoped that the new facility will allow the animals to eat fresher meals since the center can accommodate more food and store it for a longer amount of time. In addition to the pantry, the center also contains a lab space for nutritional research and a space for educational exhibits. Scientists are already conducting research projects using Asian carp as a potential source of nutrition, which would be an affordable option and improve the river ecosystem which has been invaded by the fish.
