An ambitious bill pending in Wyoming, S.F. 66, would create an extensive pet animal program complete with a pet animal advisory board and district pet animal boards.
The advisory board would be made up of 11 residents appointed by the governor and would represent pet stores, kennels, breeders, groomers, sanctuaries, rescues and shelters. There would be 4 non-voting members from the Wyoming State Boards of veterinary medicine, livestock, agriculture and health.
The purpose of the advisory board would be to develop programs to protect and manage pets including their health. The board would develop instructions for veterinarians, care givers, and law enforcement and advise the state veterinarian, livestock board and board of health.
Pet animal is defined to include a companion animal and any animal that is not "livestock".
The Board would have wide ranging authority to direct pet animal care in the state including by partnering with public agencies at the federal, state and local level as well as private organizations.
The bill, however, would preserve all property rights of owners in animals, the scope of the practice of veterinary medicine, current treatment of pet animals entered into exhibitions, fairs and the like; and use of industry accepted agricultural or livestock management practices.
The state would be divided into pet animal districts, each with a Board that included pet owners and pet business owners. The job of the district boards would be to protect and manage pet animals.
The bill would establish a pet animal program account. The Wyoming Livestock Board would oversee the pet animal program with an initial $1 million appropriation. $2 million would then be included in the Wy Livestock Board's bienniel budget for 2013-2014. 4 positions would be added to the Livestock Board to help implement the pet animal program. An additional $235,000 would be appropriated to fund those positions with $470,000 more appropriated for that expense in the 2013-2014 budget.
The Livestock Board would upon recomendation of the advisory board have authority to distribute funds to counties that participate in the pet animal program. Counties, in turn, could distribute funds to municipalities if they establish license fees for pet businesses, sanctuaries, shelters and rescues.
The bill would also require that impounded animals must be provided a sufficient quantity of wholesome food and water and kept in clean and sanitary conditions. State peace officers and any agent of a county or city would have authority to prevent cruelty and hoarding of pet animals.
Penalties for violations of the bill would be a misdemeanor. Anyone interfering with an officer carrying out duties under the bill could be subject to fines from $200 to $1500 and a year in jail.
The bill would clarify when animals could be seized; the bill provides for seizure of animals that are being "cruelly mistreated" or "cruelly neglected" as well as, like under current law, for seizure of any vehicle in which the animals may be found. There would continue to be provisions for liens and actions against the owner to cover the cost. "Cruelly mistreat" means to knowingly and intentionally inhumanely kill, maim, disfigure, torture, beat, mutilate, burn, scald or otherwise inflict harm upon any pet animal. But pet animals could be killed by gunshot.
"Cruelly neglect" means to knowingly and intentionally fail to provide any pet animal in the care of the pet animal's owner or custodian, with food, water or other care as is reasonably necessary for the pet animal's health.
0 comments:
Post a Comment