The Jefferson Parish (LA) Council will consider several changes to the Parish’s animal ordinance on Wednesday, March 24. In addition to other provisions imposes breeder permits and requires dogs to be spayed or neutered upon a second redemption from the Parish’s animal shelter during the lifetime of the animal. The American Kennel Club opposes several aspects of the proposal as currently written, and urges the Jefferson Parish Council to address these concerns prior to passing this proposal. All concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Jefferson Parish should contact the members of the Parish Council and ask them to address their concerns.
The American Kennel Club opposes the concepts of breeding permits, breeding bans, or the mandatory spaying or neutering of purebred dogs. Instead, the AKC supports reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities seriously. Additionally, we believe that dog owners should be responsible for their dogs, and laws should impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners.
After much public controversy surrounding Jefferson Parish’s animal control efforts, former parish President Aaron Broussard appointed citizens to the Animal Welfare Committee to address concerns. The proposal currently under consideration by the Parish Council results from their recommendations. The AKC commends the committee’s efforts in attempting to address animal population and shelter operation and funding issues, and its finding that mandatory spay/neuter laws for all dogs should not be adopted in Jefferson Parish. However, the American Kennel Club remains opposed to several of the proposed changes.
- Breeder permits and differential licensing. Responsible dog breeders and owners are not the cause of shelter intakes and euthanizations; as such, they should not be singled out with what amounts to be penalties on their lawful and responsible activities –especially when those penalties can later be raised without limitation, to fund a problem that they are not responsible for. The recommendation also faces significant issues of applicability and enforcement across parish and state lines. Revenues from the breeder permit and differential licensing proposals will be negligible and will not contribute to funding low cost spay/neuter procedures; in fact, the AKC believes that the cost of implementing this permit requirement will far exceed any revenues generated. We therefore encourage the Parish Council to study in detail the projected fiscal impact of the proposal, and the sources of animal that have been impounded by the Parish’s animal shelter.
- Spay/Neuter requirements, with little qualification or limitation, for dogs in violation of leash laws twice in their lifetime. Violations may occur years apart and may not be a true reflection of a habitually irresponsible owner. Consider, for example, the case of a dog getting loose once as a six-month old puppy and then, five years later, being accidentally released from its enclosure by a gardener. Such a case does not signify a problem animal or an irresponsible owner; and, as such, the case should not result in the government forcing castration of the animal. Additionally, because Jefferson Parish is regularly susceptible to the consequences of tropical storms and hurricanes, any recommendation must consider adding an exception that restricts enforcement in the aftermath of a natural disaster when it is reasonable to believe that citizens may be incapable of complying with it.
To view a copy of the proposal’s other controversial provisions, including differential licensing for intact animals, please click here.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Concerned Jefferson Parish residents are urged to attend the Parish Council meeting and respectfully express their concerns.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
10:00 AM
Council Chambers
2nd Floor, General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street
Gretna, LA 70053
Jefferson Parish residents are also urged to contact both the Parish Council members (listed below) and interim Parish President Steve J. Theriot. Let them know that you reject the controversial provisions noted above, and urge them to address your concerns. (For a sample letter that you must customize, click here.)
Parish President Steve J. Theriot
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd, Suite 1002
Jefferson, LA 70123
Office: (504) 736-6400
Fax: (504) 736-6638
West Bank Location:
General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street, Suite 6100
Gretna, LA 70053
Office: (504) 364-2700
Fax: (504) 364-2828
Councilman Thomas J. Capella, At-Large, Division B (Council Chairman)
E-mail: ThomasCapella@jeffparish.net (If you are from the East Bank, copy Councilman Capella’s East Bank Assistant, Mike Thomas, on all e-mails – MThomas@jeffparish.net; If you are from the West Bank, copy Councilman Capella’s West Bank Assistant, Brian Grenrood, on all e-mails – BGrenrood@jeffparish.net).
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., 10th Floor
Jefferson, LA 70123-2337
Office: 504-736-6016
Fax: 504-736-6598
West Bank Location:
General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street, 6th Floor
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
Office: 504-364-2624
Fax: 504-364-2828
Councilman Louis J. Congemi, District 4 (Council Vice-Chairman)
E-mail: LouisCongemi@jeffparish.net (Copy Councilman Congemi’s assistant, Nick Nicolosi, on all e-mails – Nnicolosi@jeffparish.net.)
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., 10th Floor
Jefferson, LA 70123-2337
Office: 504-736-6622
Fax: 504-736-6639
Councilman Chris Roberts, District 1
E-mail: ChrisRoberts@jeffparish.net (Copy Councilman Robert’s assistant, Brett J. Lawson, on all e-mails – BJLawson@jeffparish.net.)
West Bank Location:
General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street, 6th Floor
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
Office: 504-364-2607
Fax: 504-364-2615
Councilman Elton M. Legasse, District 2
E-mail: EltonLagasse@jeffparish.net (Copy Councilman Legasse’s assistant, Barry Bordelon, on all e-mails – BBordelon@jeffparish.net.)
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., 10th Floor
Jefferson, LA 70123-2337
Office: 504-736-6607
Fax: 504-731-4433
West Bank Location:
General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street, 6th Floor
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
Office: 504-364-3446
Fax: 504-364-3417
Councilman Byron L. Lee, District 3
E-mail: ByronLee@jeffparish.net (Copy Councilman Lee’s assistant, Casey Jumpiere, on all e-mails – CJumpiere@jeffparish.net.)
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., 10th Floor
Jefferson, LA 70123-2337
Office: 504-736-6591
West Bank Location:
General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street, 6th Floor
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
Office: 504-364-2603
Fax: 504-364-3704
Councilman John F. Young, Jr., At-Large, Division A
E-mail: JohnYoung@jeffparish.net (If you are from the East Bank, copy Councilman Young’s East Bank Assistant, Sean Burke, on all e-mails – Sburke@jeffparish.net; If you are from the West Bank, copy Councilman Young’s West Bank Assistant, Royce Blanchard, on all e-mails – RBlanchard@jeffparish.net).
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., 10th Floor
Jefferson, LA 70123-2337
Office: 504-736-6615
Fax: 504-731-4646
West Bank Location:
General Government Building
200 Derbigny Street, 6th Floor
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
Office: 504-364-2616
Fax: 504-364-3499
Councilwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng, District 5
E-mail: CynthiaLeeSheng@jeffparish.net (Copy Councilman Lee-Sheng’s assistant, Rob Hinyub, on all e-mails – RHinyub@jeffparish.net.)
East Bank Location:
Joseph S. Yenni Building
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., 10th Floor
Jefferson, LA 70123-2337
Office: 504-736-6634
Fax: 504-736-6632
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
The Jefferson Parish (LA) Council will consider several changes to the Parish’s animal…