Dear MoFed Members, Supporters and Associates,
The city council of St. Joseph, Missouri (north of Kansas City) is
proposing an ordinance that will require inspections and licensing along with
strict requirements for care and conditions for anyone having three or more
intact dogs or cats of any age used for breeding or exhibition. Boarding and
rescue facilities are also included. Inspections will be conducted by Animal
Control and Rescue personnel, some of whom have a personal agenda in support of
the recent Prop B HSUS ballot initiative.
We are urging immediate action in contacting the city council to voice your
opposition to the proposed ordinance which includes the following:
Limiting the breeding of dogs or cats to produce no more than two litters
in any 18 month period.
Includes pet sitters, rescues and any establishment or structure where more
than three intact dogs or cats are kept for business, commercial, breeding or
exhibition purposes. Intact animal shall be any dog or cat which has intact
reproductive organs.
Requires at minimum an examination by a licensed veterinarian at least once
yearly for each animal with prompt treatment of ANY illness or injury.
Requires constant and unfettered exercise to an outdoor exercise area with
a solid ground level surface with adequate drainage and provides each dog with
at least twice the square footage of the indoor space provided for that dog.
Failure to comply with the regulations shall result in revocation of the
kennel license (for anyone having more than three intact dogs or cats) in
addition to any citation for city code violations. Initial inspection/ license
fee shall be $100. Thereafter, the annual license fee shall be $75 with an
annual inspection. If a breeding, rescue or boarding facility requires
additional inspections due to non-compliant items, the person shall pay $100
for EACH inspection necessary to verify non-compliant items are resolved.
Talking points:
There are two state licensed professional breeders in St. Joe. They will be
required to completely rebuild their facilities that are in compliance with
state laws in order to comply with this proposed ordinance.
Hobby/show breeders with more than three intact dogs or cats will be
required to have annual inspections and pay license fees. Intact dog or cats
includes males. The dogs will be required to have unfettered access to
outdoors, meaning the owner cannot block them inside the home when at work or
away from home. Females delivering puppies could not be blocked inside nor
could they when nursing babies their offspring.
Crates for show dogs would not comply with space requirements. An in-home
inspection for show animals not in a kennel would be required by animal control
officials.
ANY illness or injury would have to be treated by a licensed veterinarian,
meaning that the breeder or owner could not treat his or her own dog or cat for
even minor issues.
Dogs and cats could produce only two litters in any eighteen month period.
Inspectors would need to review breeding records to determine whether or not
animals were bred. Skipping heat cycles in both dogs and cats can lead to
serious health issues and should be left to the discretion of the breeder and
his or her veterinarian.
An outdoor exercise area twice the size of the indoor living area would be
required. Would this mean that the outdoor exercise area would have to be twice
the size of the house if the dogs have free access to the indoor living areas?
Animal control officers conducting inspections could return over and over,
charging $100 per inspection. This could be quite profitable for a disgruntled
inspector.
Nothing in this proposal addresses what will happen to the animals in
facilities deemed to be in non-compliance.
PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NOW TO ASK THEM TO VOTE NO ON THE
NEWLY PROPOSED KENNEL REGULATIONS!!
Please be very polite, professional, and to the point. Do not threaten. Tell
your story and how the ordinance will affect you.
The hearing is scheduled for February 22nd at 7:00 p.m. at
City of St. Joseph City Hall
1100 Frederick Ave.
St. Joseph, MO 64501
Please plan to attend if possible. Call or e-mail now!! This ordinance must be
stopped in order to protect responsible animal ownership in the city of St.
Joseph.
PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NOW TO ASK THEM TO VOTE NO ON THE
NEWLY PROPOSED KENNEL REGULATIONS!!
Please be very polite, professional, and to the point. Do not threaten. Tell
your story and how the ordinance will affect you.
Mayor Bill Falkner
Phone Number: (816) 271-4640
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
bfalk...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Deputy Mayor Byron Myers (At-Large Member)
Phone Number: (816) 273-3108
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
bmy...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember Donna Jean Boyer (At-Large Member)
Phone Number: (816) 279-5259
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
djbo...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember Jeff Penland (At-Large Member)
Phone Number: (816) 341-4502
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
jpenl...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember Pat Jones (District 1)
Phone Number: (816) 244-6229
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
patjo...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember Joyce Starr (District 2)
Phone Number: (816) 244-3906
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
jst...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember P.J. Kovac (District 3)
Phone Number: (816) 261-2934
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
pjko...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember Gary Roach (District 4)
Phone Number: (816) 341-4506
Email: <http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/mailto%3A%25e%25>
gro...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Councilmember Barbara LaBass (District 5)
Phone Number: (816) 752-8363
Email: <mailto:blab...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us> blab...@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Please crosspost widely and take action NOW!
Thank you,
MoFed
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