Proposed changes to Chattanooga's animal ordinance won't resolve all the problems relating to the treatment of animals within city limits, but they are a step in the right direction. The City Council, which approved revisions on first reading a couple of weeks ago, still must approve them on final reading. It should do so when the proposal emerges from fine tuning in the city attorney's office.
Changes to the animal ordinance likely will reach the Council early next month. Major revisions will update laws on stray animals and prevent long-term tethering or chaining of dogs. Other sections provide new definitions of terms within the ordinance, address animal waste disposal, noise and cruelty, regulate animal sales and set fees and penalties related to the ordinance. The new rules -- unless the proposal undergoes significant change during the extended vetting process -- are, on the whole, beneficial to the community and should lead to better treatment of animals within city limits.
Among the suggested changes:
* Dogs cannot be chained or tethered for more than 24 hours.
* Any stray animal must be taken to the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center.
* Veterinarians will be able to sell city licenses and collect a $2 convenience fee.
* Pet owners who spay or neuter their animals can get the license fee waived for one year.
The proposed 24-hour chain law serves a useful purpose. It provides a way for animal control offers to prevent ill treatment of animals. Currently, animal control officers can talk to the owners of tethered or chained animals, but can do nothing about the practice, even in cases where the dog suffers from abrasions around the neck or, worse, has a collar so tight that skin has grown around it. The new rule should help remedy those and similar problems.
The revised ordinance permits officers to issue a warning to the owner of a chained dog on an initial visit, and to impound the dog and issue a citation to court on a second complaint. Strict enforcement of the rule should improve the lot of many animals, and quite possibly reduce incidents of canine aggression. Many chained dogs -- there are exceptions -- can become dangerous due to lack of socialization and the inability to move freely or to escape from real or perceived threats. The result: Far too many individuals --particularly youngsters -- are attacked, bitten or mauled by chained animals.
Requiring strays to be taken to the McKamey center should streamline the adoption process and reduce ownership disputes. Allowing veterinarians to sell licenses in return for a small fee is a convenience to the public. Waiving the license for a year for pet owners who spay or neuter their animals directly and positively addresses the issue of animal overpopulation. All are vital issues in the on-going effort to foster improved treatment of animals and to better balance the oft-competing interests of those who enjoy the companionship of animals and those who do not.
The proposed changes to the ordinance should prove useful in reaching those goals within Chattanooga's city limits. Other municipalities within Hamilton County and the county itself have differing regulations regarding animal control. Many are outdated. Chattanooga's effort to update its law on the subject can serve as both a goad and a template for other governments to do the same.