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RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP
2012
this Article did not pass; votes tied at 171 / 171...updated April 27, 2012
One of Boston's Best (Emily Rooney) covers Responsible Pet Ownership:
http://www.wgbh.org/includes/playerPop.cfm?featureid=38870
Article 46. Ms. Lodynsky moves that the Town vote to take affirmative action as follows:
To urge the Town Manager and Board of Selectmen to develop and
establish Responsible Pet Ownership principles and guidelines, and to assist in
this effort, appoint a Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) Committee of citizens
including pet owners
and non-pet owners, to consult with Town Officials, the Police department,
Animal Control and Veterinary specialists, for the purpose of drafting
guidelines and principles, and acting as a sounding board for hearing Concord
citizens’ perspectives.
 |
this
resolution highlights the importance of Responsible Pet Ownership in the
Town of Concord; |
|
this
resolution promotes cooperation between neighbors and their pets, the Town
of Concord will declare and publicize that the Town has a Responsible Pet
Ownership resolution; |
|
information
about the resolution may be published on brochures and websites. |
the Animal Services and the Responsible Pet Ownership Model as defined by www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com
Responsible Pet Ownership can be summarized by four actions:
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Provide a license and permanent identification; licensing and identification programs quickly reunite lost pets with their families; |
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Spay and neuter your pet; spaying and neutering reduces unwanted litters humanely; |
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Provide the proper medical care, socialization, training, diet and exercise; proper training and care produces safe, healthy animals; |
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Don’t allow your pet to become a threat or nuisance to the community; proper management prevents pets from becoming a threat or nuisance, thus reducing complaints about animals. |
People in Concord love their pets and respect surrounding wildlife. But as much as we'd hate to admit, this love and respect is not always extended to our fellow humans in the community. When our pets cause offense to members of our community, WE (not our pets) are not acting responsibly.
Example 1, safety issues / “dogs running at large”: someone else’s dog is ruining my yard; someone's loose dog chased after and bit me; a loose dog attacked my dog; your cat was in our yard and scratched our kids.
Example 2, nuisance calls: there is a dog barking for hours into the night and I can't get to sleep; the dog down the road has been barking for hours and it is really annoying; I don't care for that person's dog jumping all over me when I walk through the park; our neighbor's cat is spraying all over our yard and digging up my garden.
Example 3, public health: there was a pack of dogs in the park, their waste was not picked up and now the kids are coming on the field to play soccer all over that; I see dog waste on the sidewalks of historic town center; those neighbor's cats have been defecating all over the kids sandbox.
Dealing with these issues requires a willingness to cooperate within our communities, transparency with our officials, efficient gathering and analysis of reports, resulting in effective and enforceable policies and procedures.