enforce EXISTING laws!

Cat lovers can keep all the kitties they want
Naples Daily News (subscription), Florida - May 13, 2006
Collier County will not consider an ordinance that limits the number of cats in a home.
[Excerpt]
"Basically, as it stands now, we're not even interested in looking at this," said Dr. Randy Eisel, chairman of the animal services advisory board and a local veterinarian.
Residents thought the county was pushing for a three-cat limit, but that was never the case, Domestic Animal Services spokeswoman Camden Smith said.
"We weren't proposing a limit," she said. "We were just asking if it was a good idea."
Eisel said they had never seriously considered a cat limit.
The issue was discussed at a domestic animal services meeting, but they were never close to supporting a limit, Eisel said.
"It really gained a life of its own that was unnecessary," Eisel said.
The issue was discussed after Domestic Animal Services dealt with a woman who owned 30 cats. The county got reports the house this woman lived in was filthy and smelled of cat urine and feces.
County officials were unsure if they could remove the cats, because there was no county rule that said owning 30 cats is illegal.
"The question is: Are the cats living in that filth enough of an excuse to remove them?" Eisel said. "I thought it was (proper to remove them)."

RELATED: County considering 3-cat limit (04-29-06)


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Great that Collier County wisely concluded there should be no cat limit. Would that municipalities nationwide would note the long-available information from animal experts concluding that laws for cat licensing, owned cat limits, feeding bans, cat leash laws are ineffective, unnecessary, unenforceable.

But, how is it that this county was unsure whether they could remove the cats? Enforce EXISTING county and state animal abuse or neglect laws.

Stop wasting time discussing "punitive, coercive" laws! (called thus by animal experts.) Get 'unowned' cats sterilized and vaccinated via Trap-Neuter-RETURN-Manage (TNRM). This will eliminate reproduction and minimize nuisance complaints or health concerns. Help 'owners' spay/neuter their cats, get their cats identification, contain or supervise their cats.

Cat Management in Communities