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Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

? Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010. ANIMAL CONTROL IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE. Sherry Wooten was charged in the death of William Parker and 4 counts of felony reckless endangerment but we all have blood on our hands because the City was not enforcing the leash lawMemphis Animal Services is

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Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

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    1. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

    2. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 ANIMAL CONTROL IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE Sherry Wooten was charged in the death of William Parker and 4 counts of felony reckless endangerment but we all have blood on our hands because the City was not enforcing the leash law Memphis Animal Services is under-staffed and under-funded. It needs the funds and manpower to enforce existing animal control laws.

    3. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 We Have Only 11 Animal Control Officers Working 21 Shifts! MAS has only 11 active duty ACO’s (but 2 cannot write citations) to cover 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week – only 1.91 ACO’s per shift! Enforcement of leash laws is a proven way to reduce serious bites/attacks and/or deaths and many other animal-related problems The City says we cannot afford to hire more officers We say we can’t afford MORE ATTACKS &/OR DEATHS!

    4. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Mandatory spay neuter laws: Increase the cost of animal control and drive revenues down Have been repealed in several jurisdictions Reduce compliance with rabies laws & increase the risk of citizens getting the deadly disease Are not supported by the facts, evidence or experience Enacting ill-advised MSN/BL laws is not the answer

    5. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Mandatory spay/neuter/breeding licensing laws have been REPEALED in:

    6. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Mandatory spay/neuter/breeding licensing laws caused a drop in licensing & vaccinations in: Fort Worth, TX - Vaccinations and licensing declined resulting in an increase in rabies cases King County, WA - Vaccinations and licensing compliance dropped Los Angeles, CA - Vaccinations and licensing declined Montgomery County, MD - 50% decline in vaccinations and licensing compliance San Mateo County, CA - Vaccination and licensing dropped over 25% - No cat breeder permits were issued and only 50 permits for dog breeders were issued Santa Cruz County, CA - Vaccinations and licensing dropped significantly

    7. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Mandatory spay/neuter/breeding licensing laws were PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE in: King County, WA - Animal control costs rose from $1,662,776 to $3,087,350 after enactment Los Angeles, CA - Animal control costs rose 269%, from $6.7 million to $18 million! Pinellas County, FL - Animal control spending increased 75% but revenue only increased 13% Santa Cruz County, CA - Animal control costs doubled after passage & spiraled out of control according to a Santa Cruz Sentinel investigation

    8. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 What will make our streets safer and reduce attacks on humans, human deaths and animal euthanasia? We need more animal control officers and enforcement of the leash law! How many people have to die or be maimed before something real is done to reduce these incidents? Educating owners and the public re animal safety and responsible ownership Extending shelter hours to include early morning and evening hours, 7 days a week, to increase traffic, adoptions and reclaims Establishing innovative adoption programs and licensing discounts to encourage adoption

    9. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Important U.S. District Court Ruling "There being no apparent reason why the owners of unaltered dogs should be treated differently than the owners of their neutered counterparts, the writtten approval requirement lacks a rational basis and is unconstitutional." The Louisville Kennel Club, Inc., et al., v. Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government: Memorandum Opinion of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at Louisville in civil action 3:07-cv-00230-CRS-JDM (2009)    

    10. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 MSN Laws Violate Jews’ Freedom of Religion Rabbi Howard Jachter of Yeshiva University in New York City wrote in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society: “Halacha forbids removal of reproductive organs from humans or animals, whether male or female.” “It is a violation of both Rabbinic and Talmudic principles for a Jew to ask or hire a non-Jewish veterinarian to spay or neuter an animal, or to transfer the animal to a non-Jewish third party to perform the procedure.”

    11. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 “. . . in locations where mandatory spay and neuter programs have been instituted, a decrease in the number of vaccinated and licensed animals has been seen due to poor program compliance from pet owners’ fears of seeking veterinary care if their animals are still intact.” The American College of Theriogenologists & The Society for Theriogenology (Veterinary Reproductive Specialists) Position Statement on Mandatory Spay-Neuter, 2009

    12. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Per the ASPCA and Association of Pet Product Manufacturers: Nearly all family pets are already spayed or neutered except those belonging to the poor

    13. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 MSN and breeder licensing laws increase the cost of obtaining pets – unfairly penalizing those who can least afford it. It’s basic economics: Supply goes ?down and price goes ? up!

    14. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 SHELTER ADOPTIONS ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE! Dogs from pet shops or shelters were considered more unfriendly or aggressive than dogs from breeders Neutered dogs seemed more “nervous” than intact dogs Crossbred dogs were believed by owners to be more “disobedient” and “nervous” than purebred dogs

    15. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 The main reasons* pets are relinquished: Allergies Biting Cost Aggression House soiling Landlord issues / Moving No time for pet Personal problems Pet illness(es) Too many pets in home / Inadequate facilities

    16. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 “Pet Overpopulation Is A Myth!“ ”Restrictive laws target breeders and potential breeders when all evidence points to irresponsible owners and the sheltering industry itself as the true culprits!*” *Nathan Winograd, Father of the No-Kill Movement and author of Redemption and Irreconcilable Differences, and other critically acclaimed writings on animal issues

    17. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

    18. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

    19. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Association OPPOSES mandatory spay/neuter laws on medical grounds!

    20. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Are Spayed Females Less Aggressive! NO! -- Duffy and Serpell (2006) found spayed females are more aggressive towards people than intact females, while neutered males did not exhibit the expected reduced aggression, and often developed less desirable behavioral traits. Dr. Serpell stated the findings were "disturbing” and more research was needed

    21. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 There are lots of negatives associated with spaying or neutering, such as . . .

    22. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

    23. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism Endocrine dysfunction, adrenal disease Increased aggression in altered females (recent study) Increased chance of “perpetual puppy syndrome” undesirable urination Increased chance of urinary obstruction Increased difficulty passing urinary calculi Increased likelihood of adverse reaction to vaccinations (27-38%) Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if spayed before sexual maturity Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if castrated before complete cognitive development Increased likelihood of, or speeded progress of, degenerative osteological disorders Increased likelihood of urinary incontinence Increased likelihood of vulvar pyoderma (urine scald) Increased occurrence of urinary calculi Increased risk of hemangiosarcoma, a highly malignant form of cancer Inhibited social adjustment if spayed prior to complete cognitive development May live 2-3 years LESS than unaltered littermates in controlled studies Notable decrease in activity/drive Notable decrease in muscle mass Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) Prostatic cancer Substantial likelihood of appreciable demeanor change after spay Transitional cell carcinoma (bladder cancer)

    24. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

    25. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Merritt Clifton's Animal People has, for the past 15 years, published a comprehensive analysis of shelter euthanasia in the United States. Their 2007 report shows the lowest shelter euthanasia statistics ever recorded, at 12.5 animals euthanized per 1,000 people, and an estimated 3.7 million pets (dogs and cats together) euthanized in that year

    26. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010

    27. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 YES! It has been done -- elsewhere. We can do it here!

    28. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Calgary, Alberta, Canada* Known to have best animal control program in North America. The key to their success? No mandatory spay/neuter or breed specific legislation, no pet limit laws, and no anti-tethering laws and innovative programs! But you don’t have to go to Canada, we have numerous success stories without mandatory spay/neuter laws in America! More and more cities, counties and even states are embracing the “NO KILL” philosophy and reducing shelter intakes without coercive measures! *http://www.petfinder.com/how-to-help-pets/calgarys-animal-laws-win-gold.html

    29. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Funding a low cost, voluntary spay/neuter program, for example, Gail Phillips’ “Spay in the City” program, designed to reach people who have limited access and resources

    30. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 Mandatory spay neuter and/or breeder licensing laws should be REJECTED in any form because the evidence, experience and facts do not support them. They do not increase safety, do kill more animals and do break human hearts!

    31. © Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee, 2010 This presentation is a work in progress and we reserve the right to add, revise or update the presentation as necessary to insure its continued accuracy based on the latest peer-reviewed research and available information For additional information or supporting documentation contact: Responsible Animal Owners of Tennessee (901) 353-1805 raotinc@aol.com

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