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by habanaro on 02 August 2008 - 02:08
| Vote Delayed On Chicago Spay And Neuter Mandate Many Dog Owners Apathetic While Bob Barker Brags That Ordinance ‘Will Spread Like Wildfire’ by JOHN YATES American Sporting Dog Alliance http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org asda@csonline.net CHICAGO – A joint committee of Chicago City Council has delayed voting on a proposed mandatory spay and neuter ordinance until September in order to allow enough time for both sides to testify. More than four hours of testimony was heard Tuesday, but the committees ran out of time before many people could speak. The September meeting date has not been set, but Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke (D-14th) said that everyone who has signed up to testify would get a chance to speak. Aldermen Burke and Virginia Rugai (D-19th) are cosponsors of the ordinance, which would require all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered at six months of age. The ordinance allows some exemptions for an annual fee of $100 per dog or cat, but imposes strict limitations, and subjects applicants to home inspections and criminal background checks for every family member. Thus far, 31 people have signed up to speak against the ordinance, compared to 52 animal rights activists who will speak in favor of it. Animal rights groups packed the meeting with supporters and brought in speakers of national prominence, including Judy Mancuso and celebrity television personality Bob Barker, who have been active in trying to get a statewide pet sterilization law passed in their home state of California. The head of the Illinois Chapter of the radical Humane Society of the United States, Jordan Maytas, and Paula Faseas, founder of the elite and wealthy PAWS rescue program in Chicago, also addressed Council in support of the ordinance. Mancuso and Barker are known for their emotional presentations that stir audiences, and Barker received a standing ovation. Both are closely linked to animal rights groups that want to eliminate animal ownership, farming of animals and hunting. In contrast, dog ownership advocates did not show up in force for the meeting and were outnumbered by animal rights activists by a two-to-one margin. About 100 animal rights activists attended the meeting, but only about 50 people came to oppose the ordinance. The American Sporting Dog Alliance and other organizations launched a large-scale public information campaign in the weeks prior to the committee meeting, but dog owners, cat owners and sportsmen simply did not turn out for the meeting. National research suggests that there are more than 300,000 dog owners in Chicago. Apathy has plagued advocates for dog ownership since the beginning of the animal rights push several years ago. This has caused animal rights legislation to advance in California, Pennsylvania and other states, and a spay/neuter mandate to be passed into law in Dallas this past June. Polls show clearly that a Contact information Disclaimer Privacy Statement Copyright Information Terms of Service Cookie policy ↑ Back to top |