Item 3A - Minutes Approval - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Pomes provided an overview of the ordinance. She stated that the County board had approved a rabies vaccination reporting requirement and the ordinance under consideration would provide for enforcement of this requirement within the city limits of the City of Eugene. She said data would be used to increase dog licensing compliance and dog licensing revenue. Councilor Poling opened the public hearing. Deanna Diehl, 1343 Taft Street, volunteer with the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority (LCARA), called the ordinance a good idea. She worked at the animal shelter and had attended several of the task force meetings. She felt the task force had worked hard to come up with its report and recommendation. She supported the ordinance because it increased the LCARA revenue and the ability to collect it. She likened it to a user fee for parks. She felt a dog license was like an insurance policy that made sure a lost dog would be returned. Additionally, she expressed appreciation for the cattery. She shared a story of the rescue of a dying cat that was euthanized at the shelter rather than left to die on the street. She also wished to commend Barbara and Kylie for their work at the shelter. Cynthia Sinclair, 6825 F Street, Springfield, said she was a judge who heard dog bite cases in the Central Lane Justice Court. She was very aware of the pain and fear that goes on in a dog bite case. Presently, she explained, it was not possible to know for certain whether a dog had been vaccinated for rabies unless one'called every veterinarian in the County. She stated that, with the ordinance, not only would this data be available, it would contribute revenue to animal control, possibly freeing up some of the current funding for other areas of the City that were in need. She also felt that some funding could be funneled into the Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic as well as into increasing kennel capacity so that dogs would not be euthanized simply to make room for more dogs. She related that she had served on the task force and that the group had worked through its contentiousness toward a result they could all agree upon. Rita Castillo, 6825 F Street, Springfield, advocated for adoption of the ordinance. She did not want people in Eugene to undergo the terror of not knowing whether a dog bite would cause rabies. She related that the largest objection to the ordinance she had heard in the task force was that it would generate more paper work. She did not think that a little paper work should stand in the way of public safety. She underscored that no jurisdiction that adopted such an ordinance had ever rescinded it. She called adoption of it "the right thing to do," adding that it would save money and lives. Janetta Overholser, 30300 Cottage Grove-Lorane Road, Cottage Grove, said she had served on the task force. She stated that rabies had been in Lane County, though only rarely. She related that several baby bats had tested positive for it the previous summer. She thought there was a definite possibility that cats and dogs could be bitten and the disease transmitted to them. She stressed that no one would want to wait over a weekend to find out whether a biting animal had been inoculated against rabies. She echoed the concern expressed about animals being euthanized because quarantined animals were taking up valuable kennel space. She noted, too, that dogs do not understand boundaries, so it was important for the City and County to have consistency in this regard. Roberta Boyden, 1568 Fairmount Boulevard, stated that she had been a veterinarian in Eugene for seven years and had served on the task force. She had worked in veterinary clinics in six states and this was the first state she had been in that did not have such a reporting mechanism for rabies vaccinations. She asserted that the ordinance under consideration was the norm and not the exception. She underscored that the threat of a rabies outbreak should be avoided at all costs. She noted she had lived in Maine during a rabies outbreak. She stated that it was beneficial to the community to know whether animals had been MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 28, 2005 Page 9 Regular Session