AR-News: (US UT) New rules sought for pet families

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

By Heather May 
The Salt Lake Tribune 

    Cheryl Smith is sick of the statistics: By some accounts, half the dogs 
and cats at traditional animal shelters are euthanized. 
    The executive director of Bountiful's Wasatch Humane -- which finds homes 
for all its charges -- wants government shelters to stop killing adoptable 
pets and start helping them find families. 
    So she is lobbying Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County to lift rules that 
limit residents to owning two dogs and two cats. Smith hopes that if the two 
large agencies allow more adoptions, others will follow. A survey of a handful 
of cities shows they have similar caps.
    "There are a lot of animals being euthanized in our shelters that 
otherwise would have responsible, secure, loving homes if the ordinance was relaxed 
just a wee bit," said Smith, who is part of the statewide No More Homeless Pets 
campaign to end the euthanasia of adoptable cats and dogs by 2005. 
    "It's a tragedy that taxpayers are paying to impound, shelter and kill 
perfectly adoptable animals," Smith said. 
    Salt Lake City, at least, is listening. 
    A tentative proposal that is still being drafted and is working its way 
through city channels would allow residents to expand their pet families. Maybe 
residents could own three dogs and three cats. Maybe there would be no limits 
and the city simply would enforce nuisance and health ordinances. 


full story:

http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Mar/03022004/utah/utah.asp 
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