Here's another article as this story develops. Seems the city council has gotten a lot more than they bargained for when they opened this can of worms. It will be interesting to see what the final ordinance looks like.
Glad to see the people coming out to voice their opinions and prevent needless and unfair legislation.
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Proposed ordinance has Pekin residents barking
Pet owners show displeasure with animal control regulation
Sunday, December 19, 2004
By JOHN SHARP
of the Journal Star
PEKIN - When Pekin Mayor Lyn Howard awoke at 5:30 a.m. Thursday and turned on his television to CNN, he was shocked by what he saw.
A ticker of the day's hottest events around the nation flashed a reference to Pekin's attempts to regulate no more than three animals per household, he said.
"I was surprised," Howard said. "You just don't expect to see Pekin, Illinois, on national news."
The city's brief appearance on a national TV news ticker is just one of the unexpected chain of events that have centered around the happenings at City Hall last week when a proposed animal control ordinance was introduced.
The proposal, which is only in its "first draft," includes sweeping changes to how the city governs animal ownership.
Some of the restrictions include placing a ban on wild animals, defining what constitutes a "dangerous" or "vicious" dog or cat, and limiting where a pet owner can leash a dog or cat.
The changes are an attempt for the City Council to address a growing number of dog attacks in and around the city.
But the proposal also addresses regulations on ownership of all types of animals.
And after it was introduced at Monday's council meeting, dozens of pet owners of all types immediately began to voice their disapproval.
The complaints have ranged from responsible cat and dog owners who disapprove of the proposed three dog per household limit to snake lovers who believe a ban on the ball python is unfair.
Even falcon, or birds of prey, owners have voiced their concerns about the measure.
"It's just been a steady flow of phone calls and e-mails and phone calls at my home," Howard said. "I understand their concerns."
Before Monday's meeting, the council scheduled a 4 p.m. Jan. 6 meeting so members of the public can voice their concerns about the proposed ordinance.
But that didn't stop people from showing in force Monday.
Some pet owners accused the council of trying to snatch their beloved pets from their homes, while others claimed they would move out of Pekin if the ordinance was approved.
And at least one pet owner called the city's proposal "un-American."
"Right now, people are going overboard in their comments and attitude," Councilman Bill Maddox said. "Any time you write an ordinance like this, you go through a half-dozen different drafts (before approving a final ordinance).
"It's completely uncalled for the degree of animosity this is raising," he added.
Dog days
There have been more high-profile dog attacks in Pekin this year than compared to years past.
The problems began April 26 when 60-year-old Carl Little was bitten by a pit bull while mowing his lawn. The attack was so serious that Little had to undergo surgery to his face.
More attacks followed, including one where Tazewell County sheriff's deputies described a group of neighbors using golf clubs to keep an aggressive dog away.
The most recent attack occurred when an 8-year-old boy was bitten by a dog on Caroline Street.
When police arrived, they found the dog with blood on its face and unstable. With no way to subdue the animal, police shot it.
What has been frustrating to Little and others who have been attacked is that Pekin's animal control ordinance lacks the teeth needed to punish the owners of out-of-control dogs.
Unlike Peoria and East Peoria, Pekin's ordinance does not define what constitutes a "dangerous" or "vicious" animal. The current ordinance also levies only minimal fines.
As such, the City Council commissioned a study to overhaul its ordinance and assigned Assistant City Attorney Sue Boisch to make the changes.
For at least three months, Boisch said she traveled around Pekin to see what kind of problems existed. She was surprised over what she found.
"I have seen households with five dogs or more outside and even more inside," Boisch said. "The state of their yards would potentially be considered a nuisance because of the smell. I've seen back yards of complete dirt because of the animals."
Boisch said she analyzed neighboring communities' ordinances in search for a way to address dangerous or vicious animals.
But the proposed ordinance takes things a step further by addressing leash laws, wild animals and other items that have created an emotional fervor among pet owners in Pekin.
"I think all we wanted to do was address the dog ordinance, which we had a problem with," Councilman Harvey Richmond said. "I think it was the council's fault not to give (Boisch) the right information on what to do."
Snake bitten
When the council introduced its proposed ordinance Monday, all types of animal lovers showed up in force.
That included supporters of pet snakes, including ball pythons, and other exotic animals like iguanas and dart frogs.
"Obviously, we know people have fears of snakes, spiders and so on," said Gene Holmes of Peoria and a past president of the Central Illinois Herpetological Society, which has approximately 100 members throughout the region. "But there is no just reason to ban them."
A majority of council members agree.
"From what I found out from our police department and animal control, we haven't had that many problems before (with snakes or other reptiles)," Richmond said. "We've got to address that and get it taken care of. I mean, how many ball pythons do you see running down Court Street?"
The council wants its ordinance to mirror state law, which prohibits the ownership of venomous and life-threatening reptiles.
But state law allows for snake ownership, including pythons no bigger than between 15 and 20 feet in length. Also, crocodiles or alligators under four feet can be privately owned.
Councilman Fred Massaglia said the council should define the wild animals that should be prohibited.
"We're not after hamsters and gerbils ... it's common sense," he said. But "we don't need poisonous snakes, skunks or coyotes in Pekin. Certainly, you wouldn't want an elephant in your back yard."
Understanding animals
Experts and longtime dog trainers claim Pekin is doing the right thing by addressing aggressive dogs who attack people.
But conventional wisdom shows that all dogs are capable of attacking, they claim.
"Any dog can be dangerous and can bite," said Jane Clark, owner and consultant at Dog Training Plus in Peoria. "It depends on a number of things including genetics and, of course, how the dog is raised."
Clark said it's important for pet owners to consider the social surroundings of their animal, especially dogs.
She said a dog should face a number of positive social surroundings, be present around children and pets.
A lack of social experiences or a negative occurrence, especially during the animal's younger years, can create a dangerous side to the animal's nature, she said.
"A poorly bred dog with a lack of social exposure and is unneutered will be more likely to bite," Clark said. "A dog that has a more positive exposure and is put into a strange situation, but has obedience, is less likely to bite."
Clark said it's the responsibility of a pet owner to make sure their animal is not aggressive toward people and other animals.
And that's what the city is hoping their ordinance addresses.
"If someone wants to live in a zoo in their home, that's their business," Councilman Jim Jones said. "But if they move their animals outside and it bothers their neighbor, that should be addressed."
Animal control
Needless to say, it's been one weird week for Pekin's elected officials.
Now more than ever, they seem to be aware of animal-related situations around them.
Jones said on Tuesday, one day after he listened as pet owners complained about the city's proposed ordinance, he spotted a neighborhood cat with a redbird in its mouth.
The cat, which was not his, was in Jones' back yard terrorizing his bird feeder.
"Cats are not allowed to run loose," he said.
Maddox, meanwhile, said while driving on South Third Street, he spotted a large dog hooked on a heavy rope in a residence's front yard chasing a letter carrier on a nearby sidewalk.
The city's proposed ordinance would ban people from leashing their animals in the front yard. Animals need to be within an enclosed area if they are in someone's front yard.
"These are the animals we need to control," he said. "If I'm a letter carrier or a meter reader, I should be able to approach these homes and do my job without fear of attack."
While the public is allowed to speak on Jan. 6, Jones predicts the city is "nowhere near" approving the ordinance.
Mayor Howard, however, hopes things are wrapped up by the end of January.
"I don't want another situation like that little boy (on Caroline Street) getting bit again," he said.
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