Vicki
Administrator
June 2, 2009
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Animal restraining ordinance might change[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Serif]County officials consider prohibiting 'chaining/tethering'
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
KevinDuggan @coloradoan.com [/FONT]
Chaining up a dog for hours at a time in unincorporated Larimer County could come back to bite the dog's owner.
The Larimer County commissioners are considering amendments to the county's ordinance governing animal control that would add "chaining/tethering" an animal as a prohibited action.
Restraining an animal for an unreasonable length of time would be considered a type of cruelty or mistreatment under the proposed amendment.
Chaining up a dog for long periods of time is stressful for the animal and increases the risk of it biting someone who comes within reach, said Capt. Bill Porter of the Larimer Humane Society in an interview. Children are especially at risk if they unknowingly approach an agitated animal.
The proposed amendment does not specify a time limit for tethering an animal. An animal-control officer would have discretion to decide whether a violation has occurred based on conditions, Porter said.
The provision also would give officers a way to deal with people who keep dogs for fighting, he said. Dog-fighters often restrict the movements of their animals and keep them staked out in open areas, he said.
"This would give me something to work with when I find that," Porter said. "Right now, I can't do anything."
Other proposed amendments to the ordinance would:
> Change the definition of a pet animal to make it consistent with the county's land-use code;
> Update the "animal disturbance" section to incorporate the standards of the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act and the county noise ordinance;
On Monday, the commissioners had the proposed amendments read into the record but made no comment. A public hearing on the ordinance is expected to be conducted June 22 after it has been properly advertised.
In an April work session on the proposed amendments, the commissioners balked at a proposal from the humane society that would have prohibited animals from riding unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck.
The commissioners noted the prohibition would not be consistent with the animal-control laws of county municipalities, including Fort Collins and Loveland.
The ordinance would still prohibit transporting or confining an animal in a vehicle in such a way that the animal's health or life is endangered.
That provision is intended to protect animals from being locked up in vehicles and left unattended during extremely hot weather, Porter said.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Additional Facts[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]What's next[/FONT]
The Larimer County commissioners are expected to conduct a public hearing on proposed amendments to the county's ordinance on animal control at 3 p.m. June 22 at the courthouse, 200 W. Oak St. For more information, visit www.larimer.org.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/2...313/Animal+restraining+ordinance+might+change
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Animal restraining ordinance might change[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Serif]County officials consider prohibiting 'chaining/tethering'
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
KevinDuggan @coloradoan.com [/FONT]
Chaining up a dog for hours at a time in unincorporated Larimer County could come back to bite the dog's owner.
The Larimer County commissioners are considering amendments to the county's ordinance governing animal control that would add "chaining/tethering" an animal as a prohibited action.
Restraining an animal for an unreasonable length of time would be considered a type of cruelty or mistreatment under the proposed amendment.
Chaining up a dog for long periods of time is stressful for the animal and increases the risk of it biting someone who comes within reach, said Capt. Bill Porter of the Larimer Humane Society in an interview. Children are especially at risk if they unknowingly approach an agitated animal.
The proposed amendment does not specify a time limit for tethering an animal. An animal-control officer would have discretion to decide whether a violation has occurred based on conditions, Porter said.
The provision also would give officers a way to deal with people who keep dogs for fighting, he said. Dog-fighters often restrict the movements of their animals and keep them staked out in open areas, he said.
"This would give me something to work with when I find that," Porter said. "Right now, I can't do anything."
Other proposed amendments to the ordinance would:
> Change the definition of a pet animal to make it consistent with the county's land-use code;
> Update the "animal disturbance" section to incorporate the standards of the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act and the county noise ordinance;
On Monday, the commissioners had the proposed amendments read into the record but made no comment. A public hearing on the ordinance is expected to be conducted June 22 after it has been properly advertised.
In an April work session on the proposed amendments, the commissioners balked at a proposal from the humane society that would have prohibited animals from riding unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck.
The commissioners noted the prohibition would not be consistent with the animal-control laws of county municipalities, including Fort Collins and Loveland.
The ordinance would still prohibit transporting or confining an animal in a vehicle in such a way that the animal's health or life is endangered.
That provision is intended to protect animals from being locked up in vehicles and left unattended during extremely hot weather, Porter said.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Additional Facts[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]What's next[/FONT]
The Larimer County commissioners are expected to conduct a public hearing on proposed amendments to the county's ordinance on animal control at 3 p.m. June 22 at the courthouse, 200 W. Oak St. For more information, visit www.larimer.org.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/2...313/Animal+restraining+ordinance+might+change