Connie Osborne
The Siamese mix snuck out of the house the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Osborne tells Paw Nation, and by the time the family realized he was gone, everything had shut down for the holiday. So it was a major relief two days later when Osborne received a call from microchip company HomeAgain. Griffon was safe and sound at the animal shelter across town. He'd been picked up by animal control less than a block from her house.
Osborne arrived at the shelter with a cell phone picture to prove Griffon was hers, along with her microchip paperwork. They told her she'd have to pay $55, a charge that covered the cost of his overnight stay, some vaccinations automatically performed at the shelter and a $25 fee for animal control having to pick him up. All of those fees were understandable. But then she was told that she needed to speak with animal control at the police station where she was given a ticket for allowing her cat to get out.
"At that point I was thinking, 'I'm a good citizen, I'll sign the ticket,'" Osborne admits. "When I actually looked at it the next day, I broke down in tears." The city of North Las Vegas had fined her $1,132, and when she called animal control hoping it was a mistake, they told her that was the standard fee.
The situation was particularly frustrating says Osborne, because she was behaving like a responsbile pet owner. She had gotten her cat microchipped and she promptly picked him up when found -- but was still being heavily penalized. Osborne finally had her day in court last week and, because she had taken steps to try and keep this from happening again,was allowed her to settle for a $25 fine plus $67 in court costs, bringing her total costs oto $147 for Griffon's jaunt down the street. "It's ridiculous," Osborne says of the whole ordeal. "It's not like he bit anybody. He was sitting in a driveway; that's what the ticket says."
Called "cat leash laws" by many towns, confinement of cats has come under attack by groups like the Cat Fancier's Association (CFA) for attempts to treat cats as though they're small dogs. In an article arguing against these laws in 2008, the CFA's Legislative Information Liaison George Eigenhauser pointed to physiological difference between the two species that make the laws hard on cat owners. Instead the CFA says most cat owners opt for a microchip to keep better track of their pet. Trying to harness-train is an option, but one that presents challenges to grown cats.
"The kids are trying to harness-train him, which is hilarious because he keeps going 'raaaar!' and hissing at them," Osborne says of Griffon. "The other day he got out at 5 a.m., and I had to chase him down the street."
The economy is forcing many animal control agencies to up their fees for services around the country. With increased incidence of dogs and cats being abandoned by owners struggling with finances, it doesn't seem as if this situation is going to improve any time soon.
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It is possible to catproof your backyard. Use 1/2" pvc pipe 2' long at the top of the fence line, place at 45 degree angle towards inside of the yard and place chicken wire on it. Takes some time but is inexpensive and the cats can enjoy going outside in the safety of your backyard. Just supervise at first to see if they find an opening somewhere. Been using it for my two cats for years and they have yet to escape and have no desire to go out the front door since they are free to go out the back.
I have wanted a cat proof enclosure for my three cats for some time. Just out of curiosity, how tall is your main fence and how do you attach the 45* diagonals to the top rail (or top of the post); I am assuming that you have a chain link fence. Thanks!
Mike,
Chain link is the easiest but any fence will work as long as it is at least 5' tall. Attach to the post using adjustable clamps. Everything you need you can find in the plumbing section of Lowes. Make sure to also check the bottom of your fence line - if you can fit your fist thru it then better cover it up. Good Luck!
I live in North Las Vegas and recently had Mom and 3 kittens fixed and ear tipped. Then I found out about the leash law in town and now I am paying $350 to have a large enclosure made to keep them in and still give them room to be outside and play. I am also including a large built in litter box and several different things so they can climb. We are using rabbit wire so that it is not sharp and putting a mesh wire on the bottom. I am also going to get some of the little padded beds for them to take naps in. Hopefully this will not only keep the city happy but the kittys also.
Why would you have a pet cat ear-tipped? Isn't that a way for feral cats to be recognized in a colony, as having already been spayed/neutered? Do you need your cats to be ear-tipped to recognize them? Seems a little excessive for pet cats, unless you have more than a dozen or so and can't remember them all. Micro-chipping is the way to go.
That is outrageous to fine people over a thousand bucks and call it "standard"!! Standard my foot!! That city is doing this to make money---that's the only reason. How dare they abuse pets and their owners in the name of making a buck. It should be illegal.
Mickey, I don't live in Las Vegas, and never will, I'd rather pick up a little cat crap than have mice getting into my home. I have had my cats kill mice and snakes and leave them for me to find, not exactly the best gifts but I'll take them over having them in my house. For the record, most of my cats are indoor cats, but I have a few that refuse to be inside only cats and they are hunters also. As for the crap, I have neighbors that walk their dogs down the streets and let them crap on my property, most clean up after them but I get a few sneaky ones that don't and their dogs don't benefit me in any way.
Diane, I wonder what the Las vegas city will charge if someone's senile grandpa wanders away. Shame on the city for placing ridiculous charges on people like that. Isn't enough that we are all taxed to death for every single thing? Frankly I think it is time some city councils were taken to task for the idiotic burdens they place on theri own citizens.
I don't think it ridiculous at all. Every day irresponsible pet owners allow their cats to roam freely. What they don't seem to understand is the damage they do to the ecosystem, what being outside can do to their lifespan, and what it does to the overpopulation we are already dealing with. For one thing, cats are skilled predators and are invasive species that kill absolutely every moving thing that they can get their paws on. They don't kill to eat. They kill to play. Generally speaking many people who allow their cat outdoors do not get them spayed/neutered and do not get them current on vaccinations. Outside they can pick up numerous diseases that are entirely preventable by keeping indoors and also add to the already obscene cat infestation. They can also spread disease because they tend to defecate and urinate in areas where hands tend to go (ie gardens, sand boxes, playgrounds) and can cause toxoplasmosis in the unsuspecting person. There are also the dangers of cars, stupid kids that like to torture animals, and predators such as coyotes (in my area anyway) and large wild cat species. Don't get me wrong. I love cats. I have one. I do find it absolutely ridiculous that people equate "taking care of their cat" to dropping it outside everyday or for days at a time. Cats can certainly exist in doors happily and healthily. It is proven that on average they live much longer. (Indoors average is 16-18, outdoors 8-10 though many live much shorter) My cat is indoors permanently, she's current on vaccinations and is spayed, and she's happy and healthy so this "give cats their freedom" bull is just lazy people not wanting to take responsibility for their animal.
Actually this reply is to MICKEY, if you knew anything about cats you would know that cats cover their droppings and even cover up where they urinate. I live in NC and have had outside cats my whole life, they always cover their mess up and I have never once in my life stepped in cat crap, I have however stepped in stupid dog crap many a time. Cats are not dumb dogs and cannot be treated as such. Sounds to me like Las Vegas is trying to make money off of cat owners as they tend not to be as irresponsible as dog owners and will probably pick their animal up and therefore be forced to pay this ridiculous fine.
Hey Jessica (#10): tell you what. i'll set about capturing all the mice in my neighborhood and ship them out to your neighborhood. then we'll see how you feel about cats being outside and their predatorial invasiveness. we are living with an invasion of mice that spans well over 10 blocks around. this happened soon after my cats passed away a few years ago (of old age). other neighborhood cats have also recently moved away with their owners. mine were part-time outdoor cats who were spayed/neutered and had all their shots. all those neighborhood cats who went outside on a regular basis, literally maintained a healthier environment for us humans, by keeping the vermin population to a minimum.
cats don't hurt the ecosystem. they are a natural part of the animal kingdom. without human interference, the animal kingdom maintains a natural balance. cats are supposed to eat mice and rabbits and birds. dry, bagged cat food is not a natural diet for cats. and incidentally; humans are the only ones who are hurting the ecosystem. we are the only animal that does not maintain a natural balance with the world around us.
as far as diseases that cats can cause; i'm a little more concerned about the diseases that mice can spread, which are far more numerous. 35 to be exact, according to the CDC. what about the unsuspecting child who gets bit by a rabid mouse? or the people growing their own gardens who are infected by the mouse urine and droppings that come into contact with their vegetables? then there are the fleas, ticks and mites who feed on infected mice, and can then transfer the infections to neighborhood pets and ultimately to their human owners. even small children playing t-ball can become infected by simply breathing in when dirt is kicked up, that has been contaminated with mouse urine and droppings.
it is not acceptable to fine an owner over $1,000 simply because their normally indoor cat accidentally got outside. the owners in this story are obviously very responsible, loving and caring. they do not deserve what has happened to them. people who are recklessly speeding, and are thereby far more of a threat to other people then outdoor cats, don't get fines that big. there has to be some logic involved in setting fines. reckless speeders literally threaten the lives of everyone around them. outdoor cats do not.
Oh, Jessica, aren't you just holier-than-thou? Don't you realize that one of your "indoor" cats might just get loose someday and cost you $1,000 in fines? Try a little compassion for others sometime -- it won't kill you.
Jessica(10), you mention cats doing damage to the ecosystem but you don't mention humans and you certainly didn't mention cows. Are you to busy shoveling in those $1.00 cheeseburgers to notice all that methane (including yours) going straight into the atmosphere?
Pet fines wouldn't be so bad if the offending pet could chip in a few bucks!
Animals are being abandoned all over the place because of the economy, these are the irresponsible people that should be summoned, not the owners of an animal that has escaped from their home. For shame, town hall.
This is an example of what happens when government gets too big and expensive. It takes the position that the government is more important than the citizens who hired and paid them. What started as a service job to the community becomes a tax and revenue source, needed to pay for the government employees and their benefits. Liberals see this as a necessary part of our future. Are you a liberal? Why?
Sounds like someone should create a leash law for the dopes who created this kind of law. It also sounds like some people have too much time on their hands.
Yes, I am a liberal, and, no, this stupid law is not something liberals believe in! And stop dragging politics into everything, people are people, and some of them have dumb ideas. Liberals are in favor of things like spaying and neutering pets, microchipping pets, stopping dog fighting,etc. This law is counter-productive: it will prevent people from microchipping if they can't afford a fine of $1100! Pets that aren't microchipped have less chance of getting back to their home and family. Counterproductive. If I were as stereotypical as you are, I'd say greedy Republican conservatives passed the law to make money for the town, but that's silly, too. It's just a dumb law.
CK--are you on medication or something? How did this story turn into "big government?" So by your understanding, the speed traps in Texas towns are big government?
People like you, so embittered and unhappy, need no particular subject to start foaming at the mouth. I read some of your other posts too--you seem so proud of your idiocy that you often post the SAME EXACT POST 3 different times.
Go away--I'm sick to death of people like you. Take your hatred, bigotry and stupidity someplace else.
as far as the cat owner,i wish we had stricter laws here,i have been battling neighbors for over 10 years about their 28 dogs carrying on almost 24/7...there is an ordinance,but nothing like vegas,i have been forced to get a lawyer and the local jakass,still would not help me,i found out today that the ring leader family has moved,thank god..!..as far as big government,i do agree,we need to get rid of them too,too bad we cannot remove the rest of the country from the DC area and the goons that work there....!..some of this junk just needs to hashed out like the old days.