CC Minutes - 02/28/05 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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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 vaccinated. She said her concerns regarding client confidentiality had been addressed in the County codes. She averred that increasing licensure would help lost dogs be returned to their owners. She hoped the information would not be used to enforce City and County limit laws unless it was shown that the number of animals threatened the health and safety of the animals. Scott Bartlett, 1445 East 21st Avenue, asserted that every day, in thousands of communities, veterinarians routinely sent for triplicate copies of rabies vaccine records. He stated that he had been chairman of the task force. He noted that 30,000 dogs and cats had been euthanized over the previous 30 years. He said 83 percent of dogs in Lane County were not licensed as there was no systematic way to intersect with them to ensure licensure. He calculated that enactment of this ordinance would bring in approximately $257,000 in additional revenue. He suggested that some of this revenue be channeled into subsidies for the spaying and neutering of animals belonging to people with low incomes. He explained that the bottom tier of society was responsible for 60 percent of all euthanasia and impounds. He said while this issue did not have the political power or "sex appeal" that some issues did, it was still very important to take action to reduce animal euthanasia. Jack Dresser, 38131 McKenzie Highway, Springfield, scientist for the Oregon Research Institute, said there were 24 percent more pets in Lane County than there were households. He stated that humans had invited these animals to share their lives for 14,000 years and were obligated to take care of them. He related that his daughter had been attacked by dogs and it had been extremely beneficial to have immediate access to the dogs' veterinary records. He echoed the recommendation that some of the additional revenue generated by this ordinance should be used to subsidize spay and neuter services. He thought people would be more willing to pay the fees if they thought they were going for the benefit of animals and not just into the General Fund. He suggested that licenses be made more accessible, perhaps sold at convenience stores. Mary Ann Holser, 2620 Cresta de Ruta Drive, called owning a pet a privilege and not a civil liberty. She stated that a pet owner had a responsibility to keep that pet healthy and happy. She said one had a community responsibility as well to prevent the spread of disease from one's pet to other animals and people and that the government had a responsibility to protect the public health. She related that she had witnessed a rabies outbreak in New York State in which there were many infected raccoons, some of which had bitten dogs. She noted that Canada had complained because some of the rabid raccoons had crossed the border. Tom Holser, 2620 Cresta de Ruta Drive, related that he had recently visited an emergency room while in Los Angeles, California, because of a dog bite. He said California had strict laws about such reporting and it was determined immediately that the dog in question had not been vaccinated. He was forced to be vaccinated for rabies, a very unpleasant experience, but was pleased by how proactive the authorities were there. He expressed amazement that Lane County had an 80 percent failure rate for its licensing. Robert Hermann, 635 West 25th Avenue, supported the ordinance. He called it a "no-brainer" that the City would want to have accurate reporting. He noted that he and his wife, though not of great means, had a dog and licensed it as required by law. He was irked to hear that the majority of residents in Lane County did MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 28, 2005 Page 10 Regular Session