HomeMy WebLinkAboutA003 - Letter from Tam Lorenz opposing proposed ordinance 'r
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CITY OF AidIES, IOWA
July 24, 1998
Ames City Council Members
Ames City Hall
515 Clark
Ames, Iowa 50010
Dear Council Members;
urge you to reject the proposed addition to the Ames Municipal Code, section 3.126,
which attempts to premise animal care and control in Ames on the number of pets a
taxpayer may keep on his or her property.
At a well attended public meeting in April, the Humane League and Ms. Lavender
repeatedly assured their audience they would not recommend restricting the number of
animals a person may own. They told us they believed basing animal control on the
number of pets in a household was an ineffective tool, because the problems they
experienced in Ames related to the quality of care and not the number of animals on a
given piece of property. They also indicated one of the reasons to review current
animal control regulations was to either allow or deny the keeping of farm animals
within the city limit. The version of the proposed ordinance I've seen specifically
addresses the number of dogs, with no mention of, much less restrictions on, farm
animals.
Based on the many comments at the April meeting, from pet owners and those who
expressed difficulty with the pets of others, I concluded the problems animal control
officers and other citizens experience are primarily generated by poor interpersonal
relations between neighbors, improper containment and care of animals, weak
sanctions for repeat violators, and lack of animal control staff. A limit on the number of
pets citizens may own addresses none of these causes of animal related problems.
I was encouraged to read, in the June 23rd Council meeting minutes, that the Council
and Mr. Schainker had prioritized four pro-active projects for the Humane League.
These types of activities get at the root causes of poor animal care and promote safe
and responsible pet ownership. I encourage the city to pursue the priorities, even if the
Humane League is dismantled.
I live with two dogs, one of whom I adopted from the Ames Animal Shelter. Restricting
the number of animals citizens may own will reduce the number of caring homes where
sheltered animals may be adopted. I suggest: make enforcement of current animal
control measures a priority for the City of Ames, fund a more aggressive campaign to
spay and neuter animals, subsidize spay and neuter clinics, and facilitate neighbor with
neighbor mediation for animal related difficulties.
Again, I ask you to focus any new animal control ordinance on effective sanctions for
improper care, rather than limiting the number of animals for which citizens may care.
Please vote no on proposed section 3.126 as an addition to the Ames Municipal Code.
Sincerely,
Tam Lorenz
311 S. Maple
Ames, Iowa 50010