TX-RPOA E-News
From Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
Texas Outreach
December 15, 2018
PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS!
Round Rock City Council approved the first reading of amendments to the
city’s animal ordinance with the second reading scheduled for next
Wednesday, December 20th. As usual, city officials appear to be
“criminalizing” pet ownership in general with many unenforceable new
regulations. These regulations always affect lower income pet owners the
hardest — resulting in many abandoned or relinquished pets to animal
shelters. It’s a challenge for them to provide food and necessary
veterinary services.
The amendments opposed by Responsible Pet Owners Alliance are:
* Mandatory microchips of all dogs or cats that that may be “seized,
impounded, and humanely confined at the city facility for noncompliance.”
(How will this be enforced?)
* Bans “outright” leaving pets UNATTENDED in PARKED vehicles for ANY length
of time, giving officers the ability to use force — like breaking a window
— to remove the animal for its safety.
* Ban use of a metal chain to tie or stake an animal. (How long does it
take for a dog to chew through a rope tie? No chain allowed.)
* Proposed “Shelter” definition which is “large enough for the animal to
STAND ERECT, sit, TURN AROUND, and lie down in a normal manner.” (Outlaws
most Igloo” type dog houses and large dog houses are not the most heat
efficient for animals!)
* Unlawful for sale, trade, barter, lease, rent, give away or display for
commercial purposes any animal unless born and raised in Williamson and
Travis Counties at a facility operating and licensed pursuant to all
applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations to be sold as
pets.
* Flooring of cage or pen must be made of solid, non-permeable material.
(Better for animals to stand in poop and pee than pass thru wire flooring?)
* Establishes Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter as the “city
facility” operated by a board of directors with broad powers for
impoundment, to set time limits when impounded animals become property of
the Animal Shelter, and much more.
E-mail Mayor Craig Morgan and all city council members at
citycouncil@roundrocktexas.gov or call 512-218-5410 to express your concerns
with this proposal. Then … Avoid Round Rock like the Plague when
traveling with your animals to dog or cat shows or any other competition
event in Texas!
Our report from the last (2017) Texas Legislature Session can be found at:
https://tinyurl.com/yc7ovwky . Good read; names Texas anti-pet groups we
meet each session.
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