A kennel license is now required for anyone who wants to have more than three cats in Dudley, Massachusetts. They have voted to change their bylaws to impose a license fee on cat owners of multiple cats.
If a cat owner of more than three cats refuses to pay for the license which costs $50, a fine of $100 per day will be issued to the person. The vote came about after residents complained about the damage done to a neighbor’s yard due to a few cats let out by a cat owner.
The solution they came up with may solve the problem for the neighbor’s yard for now but it does not guarantee that the cats will not come back. Focusing on fining families that do not have a license instead of working on the real problem of outdoor roaming cats is very myopic.
Instead of enforcing cat owners to have a license, the city should have directed their residents to vote to keep cats indoors or within the cat owner’s property.
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Image: eva101 via flickr
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kengillon
November 6, 2009, 5:56 am
There is a bit more to this issue than what was reported in the press. The home owner had "more than a few" cats roaming the neighborhood. She was asked to keep her pets on her property. She was given many chances to reduce the impact of her pets on her neighbors lives. I agree that it may have been a more complete solution for our town to have passed a law requiring owners to contain their cats. This bylaw was passed in response to uncooperative humans. It is not anti-cat. Ken G Dudley, MA
fordzini
November 7, 2009, 7:45 am
Great idea: I'm a childless widow who pays more than 10k a year in property taxes each year.Why not require a license for people with more than 3 kids? Day care license? Could generate a good sum of money for the schools.
fordzini
November 7, 2009, 7:50 am
Preposterous? Yes. But so is passing a reactionary law based on the irresponsible actions of one individual. Certainly this woman could be sited under some existing nuisance law. My significant other and I have a combined 6 rescue cats. All well-cared for (my Hurricane Katrina rescue cat needs a $1200 operation this week; it was either that or shocks for my car - guess which I chose?!) All the people I know who have more than 3 cats are kind, caring people trying to give abandoned, sick or abused animals a chance at a happy life. (and most of us keep our cats indoors). to penalize people like us shows a fundamental lack of humanity. I'm glad I don't live in Dudley.
timcharles
November 7, 2009, 1:23 pm
I agree, there is much more to s situation. This person is nothing more than a cat collector, who passes herself off as a rescue so that she can collect donations to help support her "habit". She has MANY cats that go outside. Yes, a neighbors child did get Coxsakie, and this is a disease that can be gotten from cat feces. She has not offers any proof (only her verbal word) that her animals are up to date with their vet care. But, they have not been tested for the Coxsakie virus. I am friends with a person who adopted an animal from her, that ended up being positive for FELV. In discussions with her, and discussions with my own vet, she should have tested the other animals in her care. But she did not! Which means that she obviously not looking out for the best interests of the animals in her care, or the unsuspecting people adopting animals from her.
gail_nelson
November 7, 2009, 6:08 pm
Coxsackie virus is not transmitted by pets. That is a myth. It passes from human to human via nose and mouth discharges or feces.
gail_nelson
November 7, 2009, 6:11 pm
http://www.parents.com/baby/health/other-issues/coxsackie-virus-facts/
HFMD is moderately contagious. Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with nose and throat discharges or the stool of infected persons. A person is most contagious during the first week of the illness. HFMD is not transmitted to or from pets or other animals.
La Ren
November 9, 2009, 8:56 am
I have 2 cats, I absolutely love my cats and I would share my love with more If I could (boyfriend said 2 cats are just fine). All my animals are my children and are loved very much. I really want 2 more, I want them to know what its like to be loved and have a happy home. I know alot of people that have 4 cats and I know another couple that have 5. They are all very very very healthy cats. They all have happy homes and are well taken care of. People who are Hoarders and dont take care of their cats or people that have outside cats that are not spayed/neutered shoud be fined, not the responsible cat owners and lovers that take excellent care of their cats. So screw Dudley!
La Ren
November 9, 2009, 9:12 am
I also agree with Fordzini. People that have more than 3 kids should get fined. This world is way over-populated already. I hate having to pay schools for the children I dont have or want. Its ridiculous. That family that has 18 kids and counting, make me sick. We have to pay for all of their f 'ing kids. Why do the people that do not have kids and or do not want kids have to pay for other peoples spawn? Dont get me wrong, I love my neice and nephews to death, but kids are not for me, I prefer furry children. I just dont think that this is fair.
anniegoose
November 9, 2009, 10:36 pm
snohomish
hopefully the a-holes in dudly ma who approved this law will come to DEEPLY regret their decision.
this poor woman helps cats.
what about the 'breeder' who allowed her 3 year old child to eat cat toys -- or however that child contracted her disease. why wasn't CPS called out to investigate that family's home?
i have tweeted this blog and asked for a boycott of the town of dudley ma.
hopefully someone will pay that poor woman's fines.
up yours to the town of dudley!!!
anniegoose
November 9, 2009, 10:39 pm
snohomish
eeew. just read that comment about coxsackie. that means the child either caught the disease from eating her own feces or from a family member's feces.
do i sense child abuse and child neglect????
and a poor cat owner has to suffer for that!!!
