| |
Thanks to the Rio Rancho City Council's vote, residents of the City of Vision can look forward to a more humane community.
|
Capping an effort that began in 2008, Rio Rancho City Councilors took final action on the city's animal control ordinance on April 27. The vote reflected what has become increasingly obvious to communities all over the country: treating animals well makes our communities better places to live, work and raise a family. They ultimately become better places to do business as well.
The most prominent changes to the ordinance include requiring sterilization for cats, requiring more specific protections for tethered dogs, and prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats from pet stores. All these changes mean that taxpayers will benefit: fewer intact animals means lower animal control costs; more humane tethering means happier dogs who are less prone to territorial aggression; and eliminating the sale of dogs and cats from pet stores means new hope for thousands of dogs and cats euthanized in the Rio Rancho shelter each year for lack of a place to call home.
The new ordinance is the result of countless hours of work by a city-appointed citizen task force, elected officials, local law enforcement, civil servants and community advocates. Animal Protection of New Mexico offered testimony and support throughout the lengthy, public process. We celebrate the successful adoption of the ordinance and the meaningful improvements it will make in the lives of animals in Rio Rancho!
| |
In the market for a cat or dog?
Please make informed, humane choices!
|
The two existing pet stores in Rio Rancho must phase out selling dogs and cats within four years. No stores in the city may sell dogs and cats following that time. The city's analysis of this provision stated: "The task force provided in particular several detailed findings for its recommendation to ban the sale of cats and dogs by pet stores. Among these findings are: the economics that make it likely that dogs and cats sold in pet stores have been acquired from so-called "puppy mills"; health and behavioral issues that result from breeding in such an environment; pet-borne zoonotic diseases (i.e., illnesses transmissible to humans) that endanger the public as well as pets; failure to disclose health and congenital disorders that can result in unexpected financial burdens on pet owners; the introduction of new parasites not endemic to the city by pets acquired from other states; and pet overpopulation and the resulting burden on the city's animal control division."
The pet stores now have an opportunity to embrace a humane business model, one that does not include purchasing animals from commercial breeding facilities, but rather relies on collaboration with the city's animal shelter, non-profit shelters and breed rescue organizations. By so doing, the stores would be able to assist in finding adopters for thousands of homeless animals in Rio Rancho. Other retailers in New Mexico and across the country have proven that this model works and can increase profitability. The community will also benefit if the numbers of homeless animals can be reduced through more adoptions because the cost to taxpayers for sheltering and euthanasia expenses will be reduced.
A new provision that takes effect in April 2012 requires that all cats in Rio Rancho over the age of five months must be spayed or neutered. If appropriate, medical, hobby breeder and competition/show cat exemptions may be granted.
Improvements for tethered dogs, including strict restrictions on methods of tethering, time periods, supervision and surroundings, will also become effective in one year.
Some aspects of the new ordinance become effective in 90 days, including a provision allowing all animals to be removed into protective custody from a situation in which one animal has been subjected to cruelty or determined to be in imminent danger of cruelty.
Councilors Patricia A. Thomas, Tamara L. Gutierrez and Kathleen M. Colley voted in favor of the new ordinance and Mayor Thomas A. Swisstack cast the final tie-breaking vote needed for approval. The members of the task force were Patricia Norris, DVM, Michael Howland-Davis, Michael Melloy, DVM, Kimberly Conkling Hamel, DVM, Larry Challenger, Crystal McClernon, Boni Galarneau, Beth Velasquez and Linda Simon.
Follow APNM on:
Facebook |
Twitter
