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Date Posted: 09:48:43 02/05/02 Tue
Author: Denise-BRK
Subject: Email from Dog Federation of Wisconsin *IMPORTANT*

I spoke to Pam today and she forward this to me. The Law goes into effect today. Alderman Murphy is willing to file a repeal if contacted. Emily have any good letters for to help with this repeal?



To All Milwaukee Dog Owners and those who live outside the city:

I received this message today from a dog owner in Milwaukee. It appears there is a possibility of repealing this new ordinance. You need to get with your Alderpersons. You need to get with the organizers of dog shows and other dog events (Pres of Wisconsin Kennel Club - Ironically an Am Staff took Best in Show this year - Jim Hagerty is the man. Apparently Mayor Norquist helped present BIS a couple of years ago. .) You need to get with the people who run the local shelters, rescue groups, and humane socieities (they will be GREATLY affected by this ordinance - their ability to adopt out mixed breed dogs will be very badly affected).

You need to get Ald. Herron to share the information he was given concerning a truly effective community approach to dog bite prevention with all the other Alderpersons. You need to explain further to them that there ARE effective ways to accomplish their goals - but this ordinance is NOT one of them. A very good source of information (and Ald. Herron has a copy of this document) can be downloaded at the following site:

www.avma.org/press/dogbite The article is titled "A Community Approach to dogbite prevention"


There is also this info:
Dekalb County, Georgia, An Ordinance for Dogs (1987)
Task Force paper presented to the De Kalb County Chief Executive Officer and Board of Commissioners, April 1987, by the Study Group apponted by the County.

Page 5 - 10-Year Decline in Dog Bites
The following statistics indicate that leash laws, when enforced, do work. In De Kalb county, while the resident population grew a full twenty-four percent (24%) from 1975 to 1986, the reported dog bite incidents actually declined by a whopping fifty-four (54%), from 1,021 reported dog bites in 1975, to 472 bites in 1986. This decline in reported bites has been steady over the decade, with 615 reported in 1980 and 573 in 1985.
Since one-third of reported bites involved the dogs' owners or other family members, only 315 (using 1986 figures), out of over 100,000 dogs in De Kalb County, bit members of the general public. This fractional 3/10ths of one percent figure (.003) clearly indicates that leash laws can be made to work and that there are many other factors . . . such as bicycles, skateboards, boats, pools, automobiles, cigarette smoking, and drugs, etc . . . that present a far greater threat to children, and the general public, than do dogs.
While more can be done, a risk-free society may be impossible to achieve, even though the figures do indicate that significant progress has been made during the past decade with respect to animal control.
IV. LEGAL ISSUES
The number of dog bites in De Kalb County has declined by 54% over the past decade largely due to the current leash law and the enforcement efforts of Animal Control. Similar statistics have been reported elsewhere. For example, New York City reported 10,000 bites in 1984, and 40,000 bites in 1980. Other tragedies involving dogs have occured and cities, counties, and states have usually responded to the more severe problems through legislation.
Historically, the first reaction of legislators responding to the more serious incidents involving fatalities is often an attempt to regulate the problem by way of legislation of the so-called "vicious" dog. Cities in Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, Arkansas, Massachusettes, Rhode Island, Alaska, and Maryland among others, have all passed, or proposed such legislation as an approach to the "vicious" dog. Nearly all of these efforts, for one reason or another, have proved unenforceable. Most of this kind of legislation has been successfully challenged in the courts and ruled unconstitutional. Others have been repealed because they were found too vague and unenforceable. Others are still in litigation or are undergoing revision.

Cincinnati Law Review - Vol. 53, 1984. pages 1067-1081 - DOG CONTROL LAWS

1. Page 1077: "Therefore, regardless of the media attention focused on pit bull dog attacks, it appears that it is arbitrary to classify only one breed as inherently vicious. Requiring pit bull dog owners to take special precautions therefore appears to be violative of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment." (see 78-22, the parts about fences, training classes, etc.)


Here is the message sent to me:

From: A Milwaukee Dog Owner

Re: Milwaukee BSL

I spoke with Alderman Murphy (the author of the current general dog
ordinances - not the newly passed BSL) and he said we need to work on the alderpersons that voted FOR this BSL. Let's see if we can get them to change their minds, in verbage to
him (Murphy) or in writing. Murphy will then write a draft file to appeal.



Pamela B. Thomas
Legislative Liaison, DFOW
N7002 Peck station Road
Elkhorn, WI 53121-3244
ph: 262-642-7541
fax: 262-642-2047

*****************************
(The Dog Federation of Wisconsin, Inc. (http://www.chowwelfare.com/DFOW/) was developed 1. To actively participate in developing local, county, state, and national non-breed-specific animal control legislation which best benefits the dog and its owner. 2. To disseminate factual information and knowledge regarding dogs. 3. To use all legal means to promote the welfare of dogs and dog owners. 4. To promote responsible dog ownership. 5. To promote the active involvement of our members in the legislative process.

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