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Cat Leash Law Sought: County Asked to Ban Free-Roaming Felines

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By James Mayse, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Mar. 14--In response to concerns about cats damaging property, the Daviess County Animal Control board plans to ask county government to begin regulating roaming cats.

The change would remove exemptions for cats and farm dogs from the county's restraint requirements. Fiscal Court would have to vote on the proposed change.

Joey Roby, head of Daviess County Animal Control, said the change would require people to keep their cats on their property. It would be hard to enforce but would allow the county to fine people who let their cats roam their neighborhoods.

John Austin, chairman of the Animal Control Board, said the proposal is being made in response to complaints from residents.

"There has been a lot of concern from the neighborhood coalitions about stray cats, and cats in general, roaming around neighborhoods and causing damage," Austin said. The neighborhood groups "have been wanting some kind of governmental action."

"They felt there are some problems with cats that are not being addressed," Austin said.

Animal Control board member Julie Hawes said the board passed a motion to amend the leash ordinance. "It's the same idea with dogs: There shouldn't be free-roaming dogs for health and safety reasons, and what the Animal Control Board decided to do is extend it to cats," Hawes said.

The goal of the ordinance is to discourage people from letting their cats outside, Austin said.

"Part of the problem is people who have cats that are willing to let their cats out," Austin said. "What we're going to achieve with this change ... (is) it's going to be a little bit easier to punish people who own a cat and let it roam around the neighborhood."

Jim Lambert, a county commissioner and member of the animal board, said he did not think any measure to regulate cats and farm dogs would pass Fiscal Court.

"Based on past experience and discussion ... I don't see much support on the commission in trying to put a leash law on cats," Lambert said.

Austin said, "I guess we just generally want to promote responsible pet ownership. It's dangerous for the pets to roam about." Austin said the recommendation would go to Fiscal Court in the near future.

Austin and Hawes said there are some people who are trapping cats on their own and taking them to the animal shelter. Cats that end up at the shelter are not adopted out, Hawes said.

"All feral (wild) cats taken to the shelter are euthanized, and most tame cats taken to the shelter are euthanized," Hawes said.

The change could cause euthanasias of cats to increase, if people trap cats on their property and bring them to the shelter, Austin said.

"This is a tough situation, because on the one hand, we have a duty to strike a balance between what citizens want ... and on the other hand, (to meet) the goal of our group, which is decreasing the number of euthanasias," Austin said.

"In theory, it appears to be counter to our mission," he said.

If the proposal is approved, the county would be able to levy a $30 fine, send the animal owner to court or impound the animal, Roby said.

"That's going to give us a little more leeway (on) people who think they can let their cats run," Roby said.

But the change will do nothing to control wild cats, Austin said.

To control that population, a "trap, neuter and release" program would have to be implemented, Hawes said. Such a program would require an investment from community groups, she said.

"If some of these neighborhood alliances want a long-term solution, government is not always the best answer," Hawes said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

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Source: Messenger-Inquirer

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