Surgoinsville bans cats from running at large

Surgoinsville bans cats from running at large
Kingsport Times News, Tennessee - September 14, 2006
By JEFF BOBO

SURGOINSVILLE - The Surgoinsville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the first reading of an ordinance Monday evening prohibiting cats from running at large.

The town already has municipal codes preventing dogs from running at large, as well as farm animals including chickens, cattle, sheep and horses.

Mayor Hanes Cooper told the Times-News Wednesday stray cats have been a big problem in Surgoinsville in the past, but for unknown reasons the original animal animal control ordinance did not address cats.

Cooper said the town's animal control officer had picked up cats and issued fines to their owners, but because town code technically did not prohibit cats from running at large, the cat owners cited into municipal court claimed there was no legal basis to impose a fine.

"We've got cats everywhere," Cooper said. "The ordinance said animals, but it did not specify cats, so all we did was put cats in the ordinance."

As with dogs and other domestic or farm animals, the new ordinance will prohibit cats from running loose on public roads and alleys, or on private property not belonging to their owner, and they will not be permitted to run free on on their owner's property unleashed or if the property is not enclosed.

The first reading of the ordinance was approved by a vote of 5-0, and the second and final reading will be considered when the BMA meets again on Oct. 9.