Agenda - 09-22-2008 - 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~~ welfare. She respects those beliefs, but she does not agree with them. She said that they believe that animals are property and they each should have a right to do what they want with their animals. She said that animals are not property, and there is a public interest in protecting them. She said that some other opponents here are out-of-county paid lobbyists and Pit Bull breeders. She said that Sandi Coy, who spoke earlier, is a Pit Bull breeder and has animal cruelty charges pending against her in Kentucky. Another person is Andrea Press, who is also a Pit Bull breeder, who sells dogs with known dog fighting blood lines. Ms. Press led the unsuccessful effort to overturn the New Hanover County law, and she moved from that county after she was cited for illegally tethering dogs. She said that animal cruelty is a serious issue, and as a community, they should take a stand against it. Orange County needs this law, and she hopes that the County Commissioners will pass it. Arielle Schechter has been in Orange County since the early 1960's and she fully supports the anti-tethering ordinance. She said that it is overdue. Kris Bergstrand spoke on behalf of Jean Alston, who is a member of the Tethering Committee and is in support of the ordinance amendment. Elise Roosevelt lives in Hillsborough. She has been in Orange County for eight years and she is a lifelong animal owner of dogs and cats. She strongly supports the anti-tethering ordinance because what she has personally seen and what she has read. She said that it is important to remember that this is about both public safety and humane treatment of animals. She referred to the USDA ruling prohibiting tethering as a method of primary enclosure. She said that this is about 24/7 enclosure and not 2-3 hours. She said that cruelty comes in many forms, and this is only one tool. She said that this is about the welfare of animals and the safety of the community and not about people's professions and financial welfare. Lori Hensley is opposed to chaining dogs. Robert Hensley said that he is a volunteer with the Coalition to Unchain Dogs. In the past year, they have built 50 fences in Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties and have removed approximately 85 dogs from chains. He showed some pictures. He said that one thing that disturbs him is that Ms. Coy was charged with cruelty to animals. He read something from his PDA, including that one dead dog still on a chain was found on her property. He also acknowledged that Andrea Press was involved in breeding dog fighters, as mentioned above. Sitting next to Ms. Press is another paid lobbyist, Mr. McClees, from the North Carolina Sporting Dogs Association. He spoke in support of the anti-tethering ordinance. Mickey Oliver has lived in Orange County for over 46 years. He said that this is a touchy situation here and the Board of County Commissioners appreciates the work of the Tethering Committee, and he asked that the Board please appreciate his commitment to his dogs for over 50 years. He said that a law is out there now -the leash law -that is not being enforced now. Brian F. Fee read a prepared handout: °Dear Sirs: My name is Brian Fee and I live in Chapel Hill with my wife and three children. After many years of renting homes and apartments, we bought a home in Chapel Hill - one with a big yard for plants and animals. Last summer we were told about three puppies that were dropped off and abandoned at a minister's house. We adopted the puppy, which is part Labrador, part German Shepard.....but mostly mutt. Her name is Lily and the kids painted rainbows and lilies on her doghouse that I built. The agreement with my wife was that the dog would remain outside during the day on a line (a cable- trolley system) but remain inside in the evening and in a crate at night. Everything was working out fine....even as she has grown to 60 Ibs... until I saw Dave Hart's editorial in 28