Columns: No Limits, No Kidding!
NYC TO RESTRICT SALES & STERILIZE PETS
Harper's got eyes on NYC’s Health Committee plan for a mandatory pet sterilization ordinance and excessive restrictions on breeders and pet shop sales.
June 2014 Col. Sam Harper, Dogsport Reconnaissance
The New York City Council Committee on Health was scheduled to consider several measures that create excessive sales restrictions on all breeders or pet shops who sell a pet, but not on shelters... Soooo? What the heck happened?
Whenever your enemy or a politician (pretty much the same lately) goes silent, you need to listen up. On this proposed sterilization requirement for anyone selling animals to anyone that resides in New York City, you can borrow my binoculars. I think you’re gonna need them because mum’s the word on the proposal. Now I’m not privy to the workings of NYC but there is a worrisome silence ever since it was announced that they were planning to make sure all animals are sterilized prior to sale.
There was a hearing of the New York City Council Committee on Health scheduled for April 30 and both pet and show dog owners were all geared up to oppose regulation that strips away ownership rights. Not only is it none of their business, opponents pointed out that the measure would be detrimental to the health of dogs. Right O, and for sure it violates the privacy and civil rights of all New Yorkers. Watch this one take off if not “nipped” in the you-know-where.
Here’s what they’re up to. The Committee was supposed to consider new requirements for "pet stores" but the glitch was their definition of "pet store". Right from the get-go, they were out of line because the law would apply to “anyone who resides in New York City and sells, exchanges, or offers to sell pet animals to the general public at retail for profit.”
That’s way too broad in scope but here’s the sticker. They planned to exempt "full service shelters or other animal shelters that make dogs and cats available for adoption."
First of all, how can shelters sell cats and dogs but a pet shop can’t? And what about granny whose purebred cat had a litter of kittens and she wants to collect a few bucks from new owners as a show of responsibility? According to the way I read it, the new definition of pet store could be applied to Granny or anyone who sells a dog, even for $1.00.
For that matter, it applies to “dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, or any other animals designated by the Department of Health.” OK, so the health department can decide to add pigeons which are a big pollution problem!
This would be funny if it weren’t so damned serious. We have men and women being shot at while protecting the rights of people in other countries. They proudly wear the United States Of America patch as they protect the freedom of those who eat dogs!
Maybe we should bring our soldiers home and station them in NYC so that politicians can’t strip away at citizen’s rights here at home.
If lawmakers who know nothing about health can force owners to remove ovaries and testicles from little puppies, guaranteeing they will be eunuchs with all of the attendant mental and physical problems, it makes you wonder what "rights" our soldiers are fighting for?
At least the health department stipulated that “dogs or cats must be 8 weeks of age before they are sterilized.” Sure. The refined stock broker who identifies with his macho Rottweiler is gonna love that one. Want to bet the gang leader will be first to subject his pit bull to the knife?
Maybe the voters ought to exterminate the department of health and start over with folks who are not so animal rights oriented that they can’t kill a rat! estb. 1998 Copyright © June 2014 TheDogPress.com 1512108 https://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/NYC-Health-Dept.Pet-Sales_Harper-146.asp SSI
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