MISSOURI

Independence - group of residents are pushing for a ban on pit bulls

Palmyra - City Council approved beefing up the city's vicious dog ordinance and will require is that any vicious dogs within the city limits as of Dec. 20 be registered with the Palmyra Police Department. That registration must include accurate color photographs and must be done by Jan. 31. The other part of the ordinance bans any more vicious dogs from being brought into the city limits. Any puppies born to the animals grandfathered in must be moved out within eight weeks of birth. Ordinance defines a vicious dog as one that "without provocation" has bitten or attempted to bite someone, or one that has placed an individual in fear of injury or killed another domestic animal. Passed 12/18/07

NEBRASKA

South Sioux City - council members passed the second reading of an ordinance that would "put a leash" on dangerous dogs in their town. If the ordinance passes a third, and final, reading, the new ordinance would require owners of dangerous dogs to muzzle their pets in public. Those owners would also have to pay a $65 registration fee, put up warning signs on their property, and obtain $250,000 in liability insurance. Council members made one important change. They amended a section, which previously included two classifications... potentially dangerous dogs, and dangerous dogs. The only dog automatically classified as "dangerous" were pit bulls. Only those owners would have been required to obtain the $250,000 in insurance. Council voted to remove the "dangerous dogs" classification. Now, "dangerous dogs" aren't separated by breed, but by action. A "dangerous dog" is defined as one that has bitten or attacked someone, has severely injured or killed another domestic animal, or has been trained for dog fighting.

NEVADA

Lyon County - proposed ordinance amendment prohibits acts regarding animal cruelty - ordinance of the code to prohibit certain acts and conditions related to animals. Proposed the amended ordinance, which adds five paragraphs regarding treatment of animals to Title 7, Chapter 1 (Animals and Animal Services), subchapter 5 (prohibited acts and conditions). Paragraphs (M-Q) deal with fighting of animals (instigated or baited), injury and overwork, enclosures and restraints

North Las Vegas - Ordinance No 2417; An ordinance of the City of North Las Vegas repealing Title 6 of the North Las Vegas Municipal Code regulating animals and replacing the same with a new Title 6, also relating to animals including new and revised provisions governing the licensing, vaccination, running at large and impoundment of animals as well as regulations concerning exotic and vicious animals, animal cruelty and animal care faculties and providing for other matters properly related thereto: Passed and Adopted 01/02/08

North Las Vegas - Ordinance No 2418; An ordinance of the City of North Las Vegas amending Title 6 of the North Las Vegas Municipal Code by adding a new chapter (Chapter 16) mandating that all dogs and cats be spayed or neutered except in certain limited circumstances and providing for other matters properly related thereto. Passed and Adopted 01/02/08

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Concord - HB 666-FN - AN ACT establishing a license fee for the sale of animal vaccines text available upon request

Concord - HB1502 - AN ACT relative to disposal of used (vaccination) needles text available upon request

Concord - SB375 - AN ACT allowing veterinarians to inform town and city clerks about dogs that have been euthanized. text available upon request

NEW JERSEY

Trenton - A449 - Permits the rabies inoculation of dogs at pounds or shelters under the direction of certain veterinarians text available upon request.

Trenton - A902 - An Act concerning the chaining or tethering of animals, and amending R.S.4:22-17 and R.S.4:22-26 Establishes animal cruelty offenses pertaining to chaining or other restraint of animals text available upon request

Trenton - A899 - An Act concerning animal cruelty offenses, creating a new chapter of and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, and amending and repealing various sections of statutory law. Recodifies offenses against animals under State criminal code; increases degree of crime for certain offenses text available upon request

Trenton - A928 - An Act concerning attack animals and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes text available upon request.

Trenton - A1173 - Requires dogs licensed out of state that are brought into NJ to be licensed in NJ within 60 days, and raises penalties for violations of law requiring licensing of dogs and of kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds text available upon request

Trenton - A1414 - An Act concerning instruction on humane treatment of animals, supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and repealing N.J.S. 18A:35-4.1. Requires public schools to include instruction on humane treatment of animals as part of the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. text available upon request

Trenton - A1418 - Prohibits use of certain underwriting guidelines by insurers pertaining to guide dogs, service dogs, or hearing assistance dogs harbored on the insured property text available upon request.

Trenton - A1568 - Requires all cats and dogs released from shelters and pounds be sterilized with certain exceptions; increases certain dog-related fees; dedicates increases to Animal Population Control Fund; establishes new eligibility criteria for State spaying and neutering program text available upon request.

Trenton - A1591 - Prohibits certain breeding and sales practices; requires persons selling cats or dogs to provide certain information; and provides penalties text available upon request

Trenton - A1828 - Prohibits sale of any dog by kennel, pet shop or other retail establishment without name, address and phone number of person providing dog thereto; establishes $500 fine for each violation no text available

Trenton - S234 - An Act concerning the "Law Against Discrimination" and revising various sections of the statutory law text available upon request

Trenton - S358 - An Act concerning animal cruelty offenses, creating a new chapter of and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, and amending and repealing various sections of statutory law. Recodifies offenses against animals under State criminal code; increases degree of crime for certain offenses text available upon request

Trenton - S363 - Prohibits sale of any dog by kennel, pet shop or other retail establishment without name, address and phone number of person providing dog thereto; establishes $500 fine for each violation. text available upon request

Trenton - S617 - An Act concerning animal cruelty offenses, creating a new chapter of and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, and amending and repealing various sections of statutory law. text available upon request.

NEW MEXICO

Valencia County - County Commission, without public comment, passed a ordinance, in the schedule of fees - 9.0.08 licensing fees: sterilized dog or cat $5....intact dog or cat $25 per animal per year in addition to an intact animal permit fee. 9.0.12 Intact Animal Permits: The fee for persons wishing to maintain an unsterilized animal shall be $100 per animal for each intact animal they choose to keep. Permits shall be good for one year from the date of issue and the fee shall be in addition to any license fee or applicable impoundment fee. Intact animal permits shall be revoked, and the animal required to be sterilized at the expense of the Owner/Guardian, if the animal is found to be running at large, at any time, within the county's jurisdiction, or it is known that the animal has been bred or allowed to breed. In addition to the use of the term "owner/guardian" throughout the ordinance - nothing regarding the above has been mentioned at the Animal Shelter Advisory Board meetings.

NEW YORK

Albany - A1741 (2007) - Authorizes district attorney to petition for posting of security when animal is impounded as result of abuse (reintroduced in 2008) text available upon request

Albany - A1990 (2007) - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the confinement of companion animals in vehicles in extreme temperatures (reintroduced in 2008) text available upon request

Albany - A2610 (2007) - AN ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to establishing a cause of action in tort for the wrongful injury to or death of a companion animal (reintroduced in 2008) text available upon request

Albany - A6553 - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the tethering of dogs text available upon request

Albany - A8032 - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the licensing of dogs and to repeal certain provisions of chapter 115 of the laws of 1894, relating to the better protection of lost and strayed animals and for securing the rights of owners thereof, relating to licensing of dogs in certain cities text available upon request

Albany - A8502 - AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting the sale of dogs born on puppy farms by pet dealers text available upon request

Albany - A9345 - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to companion animal hoarding text available upon request

Albany - S0865 (2007) - Authorizes district attorney to petition for posting of security when animal is impounded as result of abuse (reintroduced in 2008) text available upon request

Albany - S1282 - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the confinement of companion animals in vehicles in extreme temperatures text available upon request

Albany - S2052 - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the tethering of dogs text available upon request

Albany - S3526 - AN ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to establishing a cause of action in tort for the wrongful injury to or death of a companion animal text available upon request

Albany - S6427 - AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to companion animal hoarding text available upon request

Albany - City Council will review a proposal Thursday that addresses prolonged barking, imposes a lease law, and requires cages, fences or other constraints for animals identified as violent. The council will review the concept this week and possibly make changes. The proposal will change the way people will be required to handle their own dogs, and owners of the two singled out breeds, Dobermans and pit bulls, may complain about the measure.

Town of Westerlo, NY - was prevented from enacting a series of very restrictive codes concerning dogs & cats. Among other things 3 dogs & cats in any combination would be considered a kennel. A local couple gathered 500 + signatures against the 7 page document. At a Town Hall meeting the proposed codes were declared a dead issue. The local Judge sealed the issue by declaring it as killed.

NORTH CAROLINA

Henderson County - County Board of Commissioners approved a new noise ordinance that will go into effect Jan. 1. Under the new ordinance, deputies will issue civil citations, impound barking dogs at the county shelter, and even arrest those responsible for violations. The ordinance says that barking dog will be impounded at the county animal shelter for the second or subsequent violations until the following business day for the shelter. The animal must be reclaimed within five days and fees include a reclaim fee plus an additional fee of $3 per day for each day the animal is at the shelter Effective 1/01/08

Henderson County - proposed ordinance would have required pet owners to have their animals spayed or neutered if the animal violated other animal control rules such as running at large or continual barking. That meant the law would be complaint-driven; animal control officers wouldn't be patrolling the county looking for unfixed animals. Commissioners held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance earlier this month, plenty of people turned out to criticize the law as too harsh and unenforceable. Commissioners refused to pass the ordinance and ordered a rewrite. 12/19/07

Lincoln - County Commissioners are trying to pass an ordinance that will limit the number of dogs per acre to ten. The new law will only allow families to have one dog for every 0 .1 acre of land, all because of a complaint a neighbor made about an animal rescue facility located in a patch of farmland near her home. Defeated 12/17/07