Auburn Pushes Dog Ordinance (emails and draft ordinance below)

ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
June 14th, Monday, 6 p.m.
1225 Lincoln Way, Auburn CA 95603

Auburn, California has put forth a draft dog ordinance that:

• Singles out bull and terrier breeds and includes provisions for "pit bulls" to be confiscated, even if they have not injured anyone.
• Names several breeds, including Miniature Bull Terriers.
• Limits the number of dogs Auburn residents can own (may limit dogs to 2 per household, of any breed).
• Has no provision for persons attacked or injured by pets other than dogs
• Requires that anyone with knowledge of any kind of dog bite (person or animal) to report it. So if your Chihuahua nips your German Shepherd, the law requires that everyone who sees it report it.

Marketed as a "spay/neuter" Pit Bull ordinance, the law is vague, will target dogs that look remotely like Pit Bulls, and fails to address the problem of irresponsible owners of all breeds. Breed-specific legislation, even when limited to spay and neuter, causes real problems for responsible Pit Bull owners because, as has happened in San Francisco, it sends the message that Pit Bulls are "evil" and need special laws.

The law also requires that Auburn report dog bites annually to the state and will prove costly and time-consuming. With only one part-time animal control officer, Auburn does not have the resources to adequately implement such this law.

After San Francisco enacted its ordinance, one disabled San Francisco Pit Bull owner with a 9 year old neutered Pit Bull service dog was evicted from the apartment she shared with her grandmother. The landlord claimed that the new law demonstrated that Pit Bulls are "different," and her dog was therefore not safe to be around families in the apartment complex. Auburn official Will Wong stated that after San Francisco enacted its Pit Bull ordinance, dog bites from sterilized dogs increased.

While we heartily support spaying and neutering pet dogs, we think that all dog owners should be held to equal standards. We believe spay and neuter helps to address pet overpopulation problems but does not effectively deal with irresponsible dog owners and aggressive dogs.

The draft ordinance is up for a second reading and may even be passed into law on June 14th. The City Council holds its meetings at 1225 Lincoln Way, Auburn CA 95603. Check Auburn's Website for any updates.

Please email the city council members below and spread the word -- especially to those who live in or around Auburn! Facebook this info. Tweet it. Get the word out!

• Bridget Powers, Mayor: bridgetpowers@sbcglobal.net
  urge her to vote no on any breed-specific ordinance
• Dr. Bill Kirby, Mayor Pro Tempore: flyingsurgeon210@yahoo.com
  thank him for promising to vote no on any final breed-specific ordinance (despite his dislike for Pit Bulls)
• Other city council members are clear in their positions, so there is less reason to contact them. Keith Nesbitt and Kevin Hanley gave a strong yes vote to permit breed-specific legislation. Hanley originally proposed a ban. Mike Holmes voted no on moving the bill forward.

Be part of our group and RSVP for the meeting.

Download the draft ordinance. Questions? Email dogs@chako.org

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UPDATE: The Auburn Journal publishes an editorial calling for an all-breed ordinance.