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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Editorial: Law Revised for Problem Animals



          Animal control ordinances are in place to assure the health and safety of animals and the humans who keep them.
        Bernalillo County is in the process of updating its animal control ordinance, which has a few East Mountains residents concerned. The changes would require all pets to be microchipped, reduce the number of animals a resident can keep and increase permit fees.
        The county's proposal keeps allowances for hobby breeders and show dogs.
        So what's the problem?
        Some people don't like the proposed rules and complain they should be given special consideration because they live in a rural area.
        The county's proposals, however, are not draconian and mostly clean up language in the ordinance. Some responsible owners argue that microchipping is unnecessary and may be harmful to animals.
        But let's think about this a moment. With a lack of animal control enforcement in the East Mountains by the county, the odds of an officer knocking on your door to check your house cat are slim. The ordinances are designed to dish out punishment after someone is caught breaking the law. And out here, that happens with a neighbor calling animal control because a situation has gotten out of hand.
        The proposed ordinance is not bad, but one point of contention is that the increased fees pet owners will be expected to pay should go toward real enforcement and programs to help people comply, such as microchipping and spay/neuter clinics.