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ANIMAL CONTROL Spencerville Gives Feral Cat Ordinance First Reading

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By Heather Rutz, The Lima News, Ohio, The Lima News, Ohio

Dec. 20--SPENCERVILLE -- Village Council gave first reading Monday to an ordinance that defines feral cats and gives officials the authority to euthanize free-roaming cats without identification tags.

The legislation will be given two more readings, after three members of the council are replaced with new members next year.

Under the proposal, owners of cats considered a public nuisance would be guilty of a minor misdemeanor. The law requires cats to be on leashes if off their owners' property.

Feral and free-roaming cats would be subject to seizure or humane trapping by any village resident, animal control officer or police officer. The law gives the police chief the authority to hold captured cats 72 hours, giving owners the opportunity to prove ownership and retrieve their cats; euthanasia would be performed only by someone licensed.

The village took up the issue after residents complained about unhealthy cats and property damage from feral cats urinating and defecating. The only other municipality in Ohio with a feral cat ordinance is Akron.

State law does not address feral cats and does not require cats to be licensed as it does dogs.

Police Chief Darin Cook has opposed the ordinance, concerned about how and where to care for cats his office traps and the possibility of euthanizing family pets.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Lima News, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Lima News

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