AR-News: (KY - US) House approved leg that would end most shooting of strays at shelters

[Snugglezzz at aol.com]

Bill would curb shooting of strays 
House panel OKs measure to control dogs By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press 2004 Kentucky General Assembly

    



BY STEWART BOWMAN, THE C-J

Karla Walker of Louisville was among those protesting the shooting of stray 
dogs in Henry County in July 2002 after a series of television news stories 
about the county's methods to euthanize animals raised an outcry.   

    

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A House panel approved legislation yesterday that would for 
the most part end the practice of shooting strays in animal shelters as a 
method of euthanasia. "Kentucky's come under a lot of ridicule in the past for 
some of our methods," said Jim Weber, a former president of the Kentucky 
Veterinary Medical Association. "I think this would help alleviate that problem and 
make it a more humane method of euthanasia." Under the proposal, House Bill336, 
killing the animal with a gunshot would be allowed only when it posed a threat 
to an animal-control officer or to the public. The effort to outlaw shooting 
strays gained momentum after video of dogs being shot at the animal shelter in 
Henry County was shown on television newscasts in 2002. The videotape showed 
some dogs alive and howling after being shot. The outcry led Henry County to 
end the practice. Most states either prohibit euthanasia by gunshot or allow it 
in limited circumstances when an animal poses a threat or cannot be 
transported to a shelter or veterinary clinic, said Martha Armstrong, senior vice 
president of the Humane Society of the United States. Armstrong said gunshot 
euthanasia is wrong for routine cases because the animals often are not killed by 
the first shot and end up suffering longer. The proposed ban on shooting animals 
at Kentucky shelters is part of a larger measure that would require rabies 
vaccinations for cats and ferrets, and would establish minimum operating 
standards for animal shelters. It also would remove the state from licensing dogs and 
hand the task to counties. The bill cleared the House Agriculture Committee 
with broad support. Similar measures, however, have passed the House in the 
past but stalled in the Senate. Wayne Caudill, executive director of the Kentucky 
Houndsmen Association, estimated that strays are still shot in at least 30 
Kentucky counties. In an interview afterward, he praised the effort to end the 
practice but said it might persist in poor counties, even if the bill becomes 
law. Caudill said problems might arise when people certified to perform 
euthanasia leave animal shelters for other jobs. Counties commonly pick up hundreds 
of strays, Caudill said. The cost of having a veterinarian euthanize them in 
the absence of a certified employee would be prohibitive for many counties, he 
said. Meanwhile, Rep. Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville, said the requirement to 
vaccinate cats would be "almost impossible" to enforce. He said many barns are 
home to cats too wild to be picked up by humans. Montell, who voted for the bill, 
worried that an animal-control officer "with an ax to grind" might fine a 
farmer for having unvaccinated cats on his property. Andy McDowell, president of 
the Kentucky Animal Care and Control Association, said the goal is not to 
vaccinate every cat, but to make further inroads in reducing the risk of rabies. 
McDowell, a Warren County sheriff's deputy and an animal-control officer, said 
officers would not be overzealous in carrying out the law. "I've got a lot of 
other more pressing matters than to worry about some farmer up in the milk 
barn and his five or six cats," he said. The bill also would set minimum 
standards for animal shelters. One requirement would be that they stay open at least 
24 hours a week, said Becky Reiter, chairwoman of the state Animal Control 
Advisory Board. "That gives the owner an opportunity to come and look for their 
pet," she said. Caudill, of London, said he supported the bill but had concerns 
about shifting the licensing of dogs from the state to counties. He predicted 
that local officials would be reluctant to impose fees for dog licenses out of 
fear that they would be voted out of office. The money raised from the fees 
supports animal-control programs and compensates farmers for their livestock 
killed by dogs. 

    

    


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/attachments/20040221/eb7d788b/attachment.html