what is the best way to get a law passed in my town? who would i go see?
Posted by admin on 12 September, 2011
4 Comments
This item was filled under [ Pet Gate ]
in my town i see A LOT of dogs tied up to trees,poles,gates,etc… and it truly breaks my heart. it is snowing and the guy next door has a fenced in back yard but still keeps his dogs tied to there dog house! down the street they have a CHIHUAHUA tied up!!! this really pisses me off and i want to try pass a law saying you will get a fine or pet taken away if you have a dog tied up. can any one tell me the steps i have to go through to get this law passed. any help at all would be great.
4 Comments on “what is the best way to get a law passed in my town? who would i go see?”
to get a local ordinance passed, you need to discuss it with your city council member and convince him or her to suggest an ordinance change. it will help if you present the information with supporting information and the names of a large number of city residents who would support the change. also look to see if any professional groups, like your local animal shelter, will lend their support.
if you can convince your council member to support the idea, it will need to go through several committees and then be discussed with the entire council. in order to pass and be implemented, at least a majority of council members will also need to support and vote for the measure.
i don’t agree with your proposal, but that is the high level of what you need to do and the process it will take – good luck, though, as civic involvement is a very important responsibility and i encourage you to pursue your ideas.
In a town or County it would be an ordinance not a law. Laws are at the state level. See your county supervisor or City Mayor.
I’m pretty sure a law in your county or state already exists for the humane care and protection of animals. Your first call should be to your county’s animal protection agency. Ask what the law requires of pet owners concerning the situation you describe.
You can probably see your mayor or better yet call city hall and ask. Also, just having a dog tied up isn’t a crime. However, you suspect an animal being abused; like a dog tied up with no access to shade,water or food. Or is left in a dangerous situation like being tied up on a short leash or again with out access to shelter, it is completely under the jurisdiction to call your local police. Anytime you suspect abuse of an animal you can report it to the police.
I live in Washington, and I have called the police twice (on the same neighbor unfortunately) for animal abuse, including consist leaving her dogs tied up with no shelter,water or food in 90+ degree weather. Both times the police assured me it was appropriate to call them for such problems.