Leonardtown, MD — The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County will schedule a public hearing on a proposed Animal Control Ordinance presented at their March 22 meeting. The ordinance was presented by County Attorney George Sparling and Director of Emergency Services and Technology Bob Kelly.
According to Sparling, the ordinance adopted by the county in 2008 to deal with animal control issues had no force of law except for the provision dealing with animals running at large because the commissioners had no enabling authority. That authority was granted by the Maryland General Assembly and became effective Oct. 1 of last year.
The commissioners held a public meeting March 2 that elicited a lot of comment. Since that time Kelly met with three of the four rescue groups that testified to add their concerns into the proposal.
The proposed ordinance incorporates the prohibition of domestic animals running at large. The following exceptions are included
1. An animal on property owned or occupied by the owner or custodian of the animal.
2. A dog undergoing supervised obedience training.
3. A dog being trained or used for hunting.
4. A dog accompanied by the owner or custodian on horseback.
5. An animal at large with a person in immediate pursuit with the purpose of reacquiring control of the animal.
Other aspects of the proposed ordinance include maintaining a domestic animal that’s a nuisance to the community. The proposal requires rescue organizations to register with the county and allows the county animal control personnel to inspect any foster home.
There’s also a provision prohibiting a member of the public from interfering with an animal control officer or other member of Kelly’s department in the performance of their duties. Commissioner John O’Connor said he felt the word ”interfere” was too broad and could be construed to mean any criticism of the department.
The ordinance also incorporates a number of state laws, including cruelty to animals, and a violation of those laws would also be a violation of the county ordinance. Violations of the county ordinance would be a civil infraction punishable by a fine.
Sparling noted that the commissioners have administrative authority separate from the proposed ordinance to set policy for animal control. That would include a policy dealing with feral cats. Kelly noted that feral cat colonies being maintained by Feral Cat Rescue (FCR) of Southern Maryland have the cats’ ears clipped for identification. He said animal control officers do not usually pick up those cats. Of the 853 cats transported to Tri-County Animal Shelter (TCAS) last year, Kelly said only two were feral and both were returned to FCR.
Kelly said his department handled 8,784 calls for service regarding animals. In all, 1,310 animals were transported. ” We have done everything we can to respect animal owners and the neighbor’s rights,” he said.
Commissioner Tom Jarboe [R – 1st District] praised animal control, saying he had heard complaints about the regional shelter but not county animal control. He said that’s one reason why there is support for a county shelter.
The commissioners, after the historic meeting of the three commissioner boards, are supporting an air-conditioning project at the shelter while decisions are being made on the future of the shelter.
In the shelter’s March newsletter, C. Edward Tucker, chief of Charles County Animal Control Services, wrote: “The February Stats are in. Congratulations Kim, Tiffanye and TCAS Staff! In line with your continued dedication to a “Low Kill” initiative, TCAS had a live release rate of 88 percent for dogs and 52 percent for cats in February of 2016. I am confident that you and your staff’s dedication to the animals in your care will continue to post above average open admission shelter live release rates.”
In response to a clarification request by Jean Radeackar, treasurer of Patuxent Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Tucker wrote: “12 percent of the dogs and 48 percent of the cats were euthanized in February. However, none were euthanized due to space issues and many of them could have been adopted or rescued with a commitment of time and/or money to rehabilitate them had a person or group been interested in doing so. These long term guests at the shelter are highlighted in the regular “At Risk List” and special cat highlights sent out by the shelter’s rescue coordinator. We thank all of the rescues that respond to these needful animals and pull them from TCAS. Rescues are the highest number of live releases from the shelter on a regular basis. So, thank you, for helping us!”
The commissioners have not yet announced the date for the public hearing on the proposed Animal Control Ordinance. The commissioners unanimously approved going to public hearing on the proposal.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com