Ban agaisnt tying out dogs in Baker, LA

Here is an article that appeared in today's newpaper. Baker, a small city right outside of Baton Rouge, has banned owner's from chaining up/tying out their dogs.

www.2theadvocate.com/stories/122904/new-baker001.shtml

Baker bans chaining, tying up dogs </MCC HEAD>
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BY CHUCK HUSTMYRE
</MCC BYLINE1><MCC EmailAddy><MCC BYLINE2>Special to The Advocate </MCC BYLINE2>

<MCC STORY>BAKER -- The City Council voted Tuesday to outlaw the tying up or chaining of dogs within the city limits of Baker.


By a 3-2 margin, the council amended the city's existing cruelty to animals law to make it illegal to tether a dog for more than an hour. The new measure applies regardless of whether the dog is in a fenced or unfenced yard.

Councilman Fred Russell, who introduced the ordinance, along with Councilmen Jimmy Pourciau and A.J. Walls, supported the measure, while Councilmen Charles Vincent and Trae Welch voted against it.

The vote came after a lengthy public discussion of the pros and cons of the proposal.

Charles Joffrion told the council that when his son was 10 years old, the boy wandered too close to a dog tied to the end of a clothesline. The dog bit his son's head seven times, Joffrion said. "That was 40 years ago and he's still got the scars."

Baker resident James Bond said his next-door neighbor has three dangerous dogs tied up in his yard, two grown pit bulls and a young Rottweiler.

"In six months, that dog will be big enough to attack my grandson," Bond said of the Rottweiler. "I don't think it's fair for any man to keep dogs where they can get to children."

Three weeks ago, Bond said, he was cutting his grass when one of his neighbor's pit bulls tried to break free from its tether and attack him.

Byron Johnson told the council that he owns pit bulls, and that he disagrees with the anti-tethering law.

Johnson said the belief that tethered dogs are more dangerous than fenced or penned dogs is unjustified. "All of us have more to worry about from a crack-head putting a gun to our head than from a dog," he said.

Councilman Welch said not all dog owners can afford fences. He said the law will have the effect of forcing some people --including children -- to get rid of household pets.

Welch also expressed another concern. "What this ordinance is going to do is cause problems among neighbors," he said.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control Center will be charged with enforcing the new ordinance.

The council also agreed to consider a proposed ordinance aimed at making it easier for the city to get rid of junked cars.

The proposal, which comes up for final approval at the next regular council meeting, will streamline the city's procedure for disposing of unserviceable vehicles and appliances, City Attorney Ron Wall said.

If approved, the ordinance will allow the city to tow away or remove junked cars and appliances that are within public view, whether they are on public or private property, without first taking the owner to court. Also during Tuesday's meeting, Capt. Mike Knaps of the Baker Police Department announced that his agency moved back into the municipal annex building after city employees used a special chemical agent to remove potentially toxic mold from the building. "Everything is back to normal," Knaps told the council. </MCC STORY>

 

OPPPooss I just posted this, o well.

Thanks Miakoda

 

I think they should just make a new ordinance that bans the use of people having pets, when they don't take care of them.
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so youre supposed to let animals run loose all the times??

 

That's the first thing my coworkers & I asked ourselves!! However, I looked into it further, & the dog must either be in your house, in a securely fenced yard, or with you outside on a leash at all times. I keep all mine inside when I'm not home & at night, but I can honestly say I understand why some keep their dogs outside. It gets tough juggling 10 dogs, b/c some can't be with others & some don't like some, & so on. After the addition of my last female (8 mo. old) another female went out on a "seek & destroy" mission. If given the chance (already had 1 bad 'un) she would surely do it again & it's hard making sure that they don't even see each other.