Dog Owners of the Granite State

From the Concord Monitor:

The city council voted last night to enact an ordinance that bans dogs – service dogs excluded – from Concord’s 13 public cemeteries. Anyone who violates the ordinance could be fined between $50 and $1,000.

But while the ordinance bans virtually all dogs from the cemeteries, leashed or otherwise, councilors who supported the measure described its focus as more targeted.

In an editorial, the Monitor puts it in a nutshell:

Once again, the lazy and selfish few have spoiled it for the law-abiding many. Earlier this week, the Concord City Council voted to ban dogs from city cemeteries.

On 6/18/10, the Keene Sentinel printed an article about three animal hoarding cases involving animals surrendered to the Monadnock Humane Society.  The reporter had contacted Dr. Gary J. Patronek who made the following comment:

“Without specific language in the laws clearly defining substandard conditions for animals to live in, the prosecution of hoarders can be extremely difficult unless very obvious cruelty is taking place, Patronek said.

New Hampshire law addresses physical abuse such as cruelly whipping, negligent transportation, overworking of animals and negligently depriving animals of care, sustenance or shelter. The negligence charges can be very difficult to prove.”

We felt that statement was an inaccurate reflection on New Hampshire’s animal cruelty laws and sent a letter to the editor to that effect.  Below is the body of our letter:

The Sentinel’s recent article about animal hoarding was a welcome change from the normal sensational coverage that these cases usually generate.  Stephanie Frommer and the Monadnock Humane Society are to be applauded for their response — concern for both the animals and humans involved.

However, I do take issue with Dr. Patronek’s, VMD, statement about New Hampshire’s animal cruelty laws.  New Hampshire laws do address the need for adequate care and specifically includes “acts or omissions injurious or detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of any animal” in the definition of cruelty.  Performance (outcome based) standards are much more effective than trying to create specific, set requirements. Just as people are different, so is each dog – each with different requirements for space, exercise and upkeep.

These cases show that New Hampshire animal protection laws work — now, the mental health system in New Hampshire is challenged to show that it works.  Studies have suggested that animal hoarding may be a symptom of one of several mental illnesses — delusional disorder, attachment disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, or dementia.  These animal owners need help and, hopefully, they will get it.

N.H. Fish and Game is proposing new rules that will impact the holding of field trials and hunt tests. They are available here: http://www.wildnh.com/Legislative/NOTICES/Field_trial_rules_NOTICE_0510.pdf Included in the proposed rules is a prohibition against holding field trials “on department pheasant release sites during the last weekend in September through the end of the pheasant season.”

From the F & G web site:

A New Hampshire Fish and Game Department rule proposal establishing a new set of regulations for the conduct of field trials will be discussed at a public hearing on Wednesday, June 2, 2010, at 6:30 p.m., at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H.

The proposal updates the rules currently in place regulating field trials, which are competitive events for hunting dogs.  It also would expand the definition of field trials to include “hunt tests,” where dogs compete against standards determined by national organizations such as the American Kennel Club.

Written comments must be received by June 14, 2010. Send to: comments@wildlife.nh.gov (use subject line “Comments on Field Trial Rules”); or write to Executive Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; or fax to (603) 271-1438.

April means it is time to get your dog licenses. Dogs 4 months old or over must be licensed on or before April 30.  Dog licenses are available from your town clerk.  In order to get a dog license, you must bring proof that your dog’s rabies vaccination is current.

FEES

If the dog has been neutered or spayed, a certificate must be furnished (if licensing for the first time).  New Hampshire has a sliding scale of dog license fees with puppies under 7 months and spayed or neutered dogs getting a discount. In addition to the dog license fee, there is a $2.00 fee that goes to the state’s Companion Animal Neutering Fund.  This fund provides low-income dog and cat owners with low-cost spaying and neutering of their pets.

The state fees are (towns may add up to $1.00 to these fees):

• 4 months old but less than 7 months (not spayed or neutered) $ 4.50
• 7 months old or older (spayed or neutered) $4.5o
• 7 months old or older (not spayed or neutered) $7.00
• Owners who have 5 or more dogs may get a group license for a set fee of  $20.00

A Senior Citizen (65 or older) does not have to pay the companion animal population control fee and gets a discount for the licensing of his/her first dog. If they have more than one dog, they will be charged the regular fee for the additional dogs. Service dogs and guide dogs must be licensed.  However, upon providing an identification card from a recognized training agency or school, they are exempt from paying a fee as are military dogs who received an honorable discharge.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

$2.00 goes the state’s Companion Animal Neutering Fund.  This fund provides low-income dog and cat owners with low-cost spaying and neutering of their pets.

$1.00 goes to the Town Clerk

.50¢ goes to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

The rest goes to the town or city.

Governor’s Commission on the Humane Treatment of Animals will  meeting from 1 to 4 on March 18th.  The meeting will be held at the Attorney General’s Office Conference Room in Concord, NH.

This meeting is open to the public.

Town Meeting season in New Hampshire is fast approaching. A wide variety of issues can be posed at your annual Town Meeting, especially if it’s the traditional style “group meeting”. Recently, breeders in a NH town were surprised to find out that a new restriction on the number of dogs a resident could own was passed at Town Meeting. The new restriction basically banned any new dog breeder from the town and those currently in residence were grandfathered but only if they maintained their current address.

This time of year, keeping an eye on your town’s website and local papers will give you time to prepare opposition to burdensome, unnecessary and inappropriate restrictions before they become local law. Email us if an unfriendly animal owner law is being proposed in your town.

Wednesday,  2/17/10 -

• The House will vote on  HB1417 – allowing companion dogs in certain areas of restaurants. Committee recommendation: Ought to Pass.
  

• The House will vote on HB1596 – relative to the civil forfeiture of unlicensed dogs. Committee recommendation: Inexpedient to Legislate.

Thursday, 2/18/10

• The Governor’s Commission on the Humane Treatment of Animals will be meeting.  The public may attend and listen. When: 1:30 – 4  p.m. Where: Senate Room 100 of the State House, Concord.
  

SB 365 – requiring the sterilization of animals adopted from shelters mandates that licensed animal shelter sterilize all dogs and cats that they “sell, give away, adopt or otherwise transfer ownership of.”

There are no exemptions for the health or well-being of the animal nor is it clear whether this would apply to dogs and cats being reclaimed by their owners.

HB1417 – allowing companion dogs in certain areas of restaurants adds:

“A restaurant owner may allow, at the restaurant owner’s discretion, any person possessing a properly disciplined companion dog inside his or her place of business. Such dogs shall not be allowed in food preparation or production areas. Restaurant owners allowing companion dogs shall prominently display a sign at all public entrances advising patrons that companion dogs are allowed on the premises.”

to RSA 466:44 Dogs; Restaurants and Food Stores.

HB 1596 – relative to the civil forfeiture of unlicensed dogs makes changes to the licensing law.  It shortens the grace period for late licensing of dogs and increases the costs.

• Changes from  between June 1 and June 20  to between May 15 and May 31 as the date for the town clerk to create a list of unlicensed dogs.
• Sets June 10 as the latest date for the town to issue a forfeiture warrant for unlicensed dogs.
• Doubles the costs of service of the forfeiture warrant from $5 to $10.