Link...

I just realized that the police shot the pit bull less than a block from my house. No body at my house was home that day, but we had realized the dog was gone and we had wondered what happened to it. We obviously don't read the KNS as closely as we could have. One of us did see two men in short-sleeved white shirts talking to a person who was apparently Smith sometime that week.

To combat the growing animal overpopulation problem, Knox County is launching a $250,000 mobile spay/neuter clinic. The mobile lab has surgical facilities and space to handle 30 animals.

The article notes that the Young-Williams Animal Center took in nearly 17,000 animals last year. That's a staggering number, and sadly you know what happens to most of them.

Spay and neuter, people, and don't buy puppy mill pets from pet stores!

Today there is another Animal Control Committee meeting.

So let's try to get up to date with where we are now on this Blount County issue.

~The county commission has approved a 350K loan to Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation to get the basic shelter built.

~The county is allowing this shelter to be placed on county land and in the end, the county will pretty much own the building and the land.

Animal Control enforcement duties for Blount County will still be provided by the County but the housing, care and adoption of these animals will be provided by the new shelter.

Much like the Young Williams model with some changes. For operation details check out the presentations at Link...

At this point is sure seems like they are working on the details and here is where you all can help! This shelter and it's services are currently being targeted to Blount County's non-incorporated areas. That means if you live in Alcoa or Maryville and your doggie should happen to wander off and be picked up by the City, it won't be taken to the new shelter.

Lost pups, stray dogs and wandering cats have no idea if they are wandering in the City or in the County. For this reason alone you folks in the cities should pick up the phone, call city hall and say you want your city to join in with the new Animal Shelter! No way, no how will these cities change what they do now if the citizens don't speak out.

Animal Control duties can and should stay with the cities but the care and placement of those unwanted and misplaced animals can be done by this new shelter.

Pick up the phone.

Go to the meetings.

Raise a few bucks to help get this thing going.

In the end, your pup will thank you for it.

And so will the rest of us.

Animal Control Committee meeting
Tuesday, May 8, 2007, 5:00 p.m.
Room 430, Blount County Courthouse

Haste makes waste.

The TN Senate voted to approve a law (SB0139) making it a misdemeanor (amendment) if your dog goes off premises even if the dog's owner was not at fault. For example, your dog is in your fenced in backyard. A worker enters your backyard and upon leaving forgets to secure the gate. Your dog runs into the street. You can then be charged with a crime.

Now I am all for responsible animal ownership. We own a pup, or it owns us, not sure which. Our pupster is definitely pampered and we take extreme care to ensure her safety as well as the safety of others around her. In her ten years of existence she has escaped 3 or 4 times. I cannot imagine being arrested for such a misdeed. Neither of us have never been arrested for anything. I think this is just a step too far.

I suppose my next step is to ask what problem resulted in the introduction of this bill. And, hey, if dogs then why not cats? They can do damage too. I jest. Just because there is a bad bill does not mean we need to make it worse.

H/T KNS

According to The Maryville Daily Times, the City of Alcoa, with the huge population of approximately 8,000, is voting to update their animal control laws. The AKC has done a lot of research and found that some of these laws are not a solution to any problem and can possibly add to the problem. The AKC has extensive information on why pet limit laws are not that effective.

My main concern has to do with an apparent existing law, "It allows an officer to enter a person's property without a warrant or even probable cause to ensure the animal control laws are being followed. Even if its just to check an animal's registration, an officer has the authority to enter private property without permission, Dunn said." Dunn is a City of Alcoa Police Captain.

City of Alcoa pet owners beware! Apparently law enforcement officers can enter your residence without a warrant or probable cause. It appears to me this is unconstitutional, but what do I know. It sure is hard to interpret citizen's rights these days.