{"id":7802,"date":"2015-12-15T15:25:29","date_gmt":"2015-12-15T15:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/?p=7802"},"modified":"2016-05-12T12:46:30","modified_gmt":"2016-05-12T12:46:30","slug":"laws-for-paws-is-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/?p=7802","title":{"rendered":"Laws for Paws is here!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">The Oak Cliff Animal\u00a0Initiative\u2019s\u00a0first Laws for Paws\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">is here!<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Get ready for a rectangular shaped round table about our City\u2019s and State\u2019s animal laws.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This panel discussion\u00a0will facilitate meaningful conversation examining current\u00a0animal compliance, neglect, and abuse laws with the goals of understanding\u00a0the\u00a0effectiveness of the\u00a0laws and any\u00a0challenges to prosecution and enforcement.\u00a0It is time to give the City a united front that leverages the law to produce\u00a0results for this level 1\u00a0priority issue for\u00a0the Mayor and\u00a0the tax payers.<\/p>\n<p>If Dallas is going to \u201cGrow South\u201d successfully, all agencies need to be aligned on a message house surrounding a culture of clean to include a strong spay and neuter culture and expected compliance from animal owners.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve\u00a0this goal, it will be\u00a0important for all parties and all agencies to be aligned on the power of the law.\u00a0Dallas can solve its crisis level\u00a0animal issues if all the agencies involved are aligned on the interpretation of the law, on their ability to write citations, and their ability to enforce the law.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, Laws for Paws will bring together agency experts and the public to discuss and potentially re-shape city\u00a0animal compliance, neglect, and abuse laws to ensure\u00a0they serve and protect our animals and our neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>ON THE LAWS FOR PAWS PANEL<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jody Jones, Manager, Dallas Animal Services<\/li>\n<li>Adrian Vela, Dallas Animal Services\u2019 Field Services Supervisor<\/li>\n<li>Courtney Gustafson, SPCA of Texas, Animal Care Center Manager<\/li>\n<li>Art Munoz, SPCA of Texas, ACI Unit Supervisor \/ Investigator for DA&#8217;s Office assigned to Animal Cruelty Unit<\/li>\n<li>Skip Trimble, former Animal Advisory Commission Chair<\/li>\n<li>Felicia Kerney, Dallas County\u00a0District Attorney |Prosecutor<\/li>\n<li>Steve Wilson, Dallas County District Attorney | Animal Cruelty Unit<\/li>\n<li>Jason Mathis, Community Prosecutor<\/li>\n<li>Chief Stokes, DPD\n<ul>\n<li>(Waiting for confirmation on who will attend to represent him)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Chief Hanson, Dallas City Marshall<\/li>\n<li>Scott Griggs, Dallas City Councilmember, District 1<\/li>\n<li>Chris Watts, Animal Advisory Commission, District 1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>DATE:<\/strong> This Thursday,\u00a0December 17<sup>th<\/sup> at 6:30pm \u2013 8:30pm<br \/>\n<strong>LOCATION:<\/strong> Kidd Springs Recreation Center | Oak Cliff<\/p>\n<p>The issues will be discussed in a real-time format.\u00a0A moderator will be working from a general agenda of topics and case studies. No prep will be required of the panel members; no presentations will be made. While the public is invited to attend, this is not a forum for the public to ask questions. (That will hopefully be phase 2)<\/p>\n<p>The idea of this collaboration is to get all the parties with the expertise to fully understand the challenges, limitations, and issues with the current law at the table. \u00a0With all the experts in one place, we can understand the effectiveness and or challenges of the current\u00a0city ordinances and the state law\u00a0from the first 311 call all the way to a potential prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>Every issue will not be solved in this discussion, but the issues will be identified and put on the table. Follow up and actionable items will be part of a real time action items list. All parties will agree to next steps, accountable\u00a0items, and a follow up timeline before the meeting ends.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>WHY IS THIS MEETING IMPORTANT?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Again, it\u00a0is time to give the City a united front that leverages the law to produce RESULTS\u00a0for this level 1\u00a0priority issue for\u00a0the Mayor and\u00a0the tax payers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recent events on compliance sweeps, out at Dowdy Ferry Road, and on our neighborhood streets reflect\u00a0some big gaps of understanding and communication between departments. \u00a0This crisis level issues needs\u00a0the City to have a cooperative open conversation across all agencies and collaborators for the sake of the safety and quality of life of the citizens,\u00a0their companion animals, as well as for the loose neglected animals.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Loose dogs and dog attacks:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Compliance is important. There were too many dog attacks in Dallas last year. A toddler was killed by a dog attack in 2015. Thousands of dollars were spent in ERs, in doctor\u2019s office, and missing work. Our safety and quality of life is at risk. Neighbors\u00a0are moving away due to the risks. Our city\u2019s reputation as a world class city is at risk, as is\u00a0the growth and income that comes from recruiting world class businesses and their employees.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The relationship between animal cruelty and human violence:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2010, the Quality of Life Committee was briefed by animal attorney Yolanda Eisenstein on: \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www3.dallascityhall.com\/committee_briefings\/briefings0310\/QOL_RelationshipAnimalCruelty_030810.pdf\">The Relationship Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence<\/a>\u201d. The Committee was told that, \u201cAnimal Cruelty Destabilizes Communities and Neighborhoods. The condition of a society in part is reflected in: The extent to which we obey or violate the law. The extent to which the law is enforced. Animal cruelty seen as reflecting general level of lawlessness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If animal cruelty is seen as a reflection of the general level of lawlessness in Dallas, South Dallas tells us were are in desperate trouble, but\u00a0Dowdy Ferry tells us we have gone third world gangster. We can\u2019t solve the problems if we are not all working from the same play book.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The 2010 Human Society of the United States Shelter Evaluation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2010\/11, the Humane Society of the United States conducted a comprehensive<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanewatch.org\/images\/uploads\/2010-11_HSUS_Dallas_Animal_Services.pdf\">\u00a0shelter evaluation of Dallas Animal Services<\/a>. It was the observation of The HSUS team that the degree of enforcement of a violation depended upon the individual officer\u2019s interpretation of the infraction. This is still an issue today, the interpretation of the law is going to be important to solving this roadblock to compliance.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re looking forward to a spirited conversation filled with healthy, collaborative, respectful conflict resulting in innovative solutions. See you there!<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE | REFERENCES<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>City of Dallas Animal Ordinances:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dallasanimalservices.org\/city_code.html\">Chapter 7 Code<\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The State of Texas Animal Law:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animallaw.info\/statute\/tx-dog-consolidated-dog-laws\">https:\/\/www.animallaw.info\/statute\/tx-dog-consolidated-dog-laws<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/Docs\/HS\/htm\/HS.822.htm\">http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/Docs\/HS\/htm\/HS.822.htm<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dshs.state.tx.us\/idcu\/health\/zoonosis\/laws\/rules\/\">https:\/\/www.dshs.state.tx.us\/idcu\/health\/zoonosis\/laws\/rules\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>SPCA\u2019s link to cruelty law:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spca.org\/law\">http:\/\/www.spca.org\/law<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>From the THLN\u2019s site: direct links to:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thln.com\/mcms_site\/uploads\/documents\/31309D39-3048-C277-1144CCFE70E0FF9B.pdf\">Current Texas Animal Laws<\/a> (PDF format)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thln.com\/mcms_site\/uploads\/documents\/31336D61-3048-C277-117513A89C2F7F26.pdf\">Laws That Affect Animal Shelters<\/a>(PDF format)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thln.com\/mcms_site\/uploads\/documents\/38DE839C-3048-C277-11CAF5CCD354CBDE.pdf\">Dog or Cat Breeders Act<\/a>(PDF format)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thln.com\/mcms_site\/uploads\/documents\/38DF541D-3048-C277-11CB21D1BE10B790.pdf\">Licensed Dog or Cat Breeders Regulations<\/a>(PDF format)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Oak Cliff Animal\u00a0Initiative\u2019s\u00a0first Laws for Paws\u00a0is here! Get ready for a rectangular shaped round table about our City\u2019s and State\u2019s animal laws. This panel discussion\u00a0will facilitate meaningful conversation examining current\u00a0animal compliance, neglect, and abuse laws with the goals of understanding\u00a0the\u00a0effectiveness of the\u00a0laws and any\u00a0challenges to prosecution and enforcement.\u00a0It is time to give the City a united front that leverages the law to produce\u00a0results for this level 1\u00a0priority issue for\u00a0the Mayor and\u00a0the tax payers. If Dallas is going to \u201cGrow South\u201d successfully, all agencies need to be aligned on a message house surrounding a culture of clean to include a strong spay and neuter culture and expected compliance from animal owners. To achieve\u00a0this goal, it will be\u00a0important for all parties and all agencies to be aligned on the power of the law.\u00a0Dallas can solve its crisis level\u00a0animal issues if all the agencies involved are aligned on the interpretation of the law, on their ability to write citations, and their ability to enforce the law. To do this, Laws for Paws will bring together agency experts and the public to discuss and potentially re-shape city\u00a0animal compliance, neglect, and abuse laws to ensure\u00a0they serve and protect our animals and our neighborhoods. ON THE LAWS FOR PAWS PANEL Jody Jones, Manager, Dallas Animal Services Adrian Vela, Dallas Animal Services\u2019 Field Services Supervisor Courtney Gustafson, SPCA of Texas, Animal Care Center Manager Art Munoz, SPCA of Texas, ACI Unit Supervisor \/ Investigator for DA&#8217;s Office assigned to Animal Cruelty Unit Skip Trimble, former Animal Advisory Commission Chair Felicia Kerney, Dallas County\u00a0District Attorney |Prosecutor Steve Wilson, Dallas County District Attorney | Animal Cruelty Unit Jason Mathis, Community Prosecutor Chief Stokes, DPD (Waiting for confirmation on who will attend to represent him) Chief Hanson, Dallas City Marshall Scott Griggs, Dallas City Councilmember, District 1 Chris Watts, Animal Advisory Commission, District 1 &nbsp; DATE: This Thursday,\u00a0December 17th at 6:30pm \u2013 8:30pm LOCATION: Kidd Springs Recreation Center | Oak Cliff The issues will be discussed in a real-time format.\u00a0A moderator will be working from a general agenda of topics and case studies. No prep will be required of the panel members; no presentations will be made. While the public is invited to attend, this is not a forum for the public to ask questions. (That will hopefully be phase 2) The idea of this collaboration is to get all the parties with the expertise to fully understand the challenges, limitations, and issues with the current law at the table. \u00a0With all the experts in one place, we can understand the effectiveness and or challenges of the current\u00a0city ordinances and the state law\u00a0from the first 311 call all the way to a potential prosecution. Every issue will not be solved in this discussion, but the issues will be identified and put on the table. Follow up and actionable items will be part of a real time action items list. All parties will agree to next steps, accountable\u00a0items, and a follow up timeline before the meeting ends. WHY IS THIS MEETING IMPORTANT? Again, it\u00a0is time to give the City a united front that leverages the law to produce RESULTS\u00a0for this level 1\u00a0priority issue for\u00a0the Mayor and\u00a0the tax payers. Recent events on compliance sweeps, out at Dowdy Ferry Road, and on our neighborhood streets reflect\u00a0some big gaps of understanding and communication between departments. \u00a0This crisis level issues needs\u00a0the City to have a cooperative open conversation across all agencies and collaborators for the sake of the safety and quality of life of the citizens,\u00a0their companion animals, as well as for the loose neglected animals.\u00a0 Loose dogs and dog attacks: Compliance is important. There were too many dog attacks in Dallas last year. A toddler was killed by a dog attack in 2015. Thousands of dollars were spent in ERs, in doctor\u2019s office, and missing work. Our safety and quality of life is at risk. Neighbors\u00a0are moving away due to the risks. Our city\u2019s reputation as a world class city is at risk, as is\u00a0the growth and income that comes from recruiting world class businesses and their employees. The relationship between animal cruelty and human violence: In 2010, the Quality of Life Committee was briefed by animal attorney Yolanda Eisenstein on: \u201cThe Relationship Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence\u201d. The Committee was told that, \u201cAnimal Cruelty Destabilizes Communities and Neighborhoods. The condition of a society in part is reflected in: The extent to which we obey or violate the law. The extent to which the law is enforced. Animal cruelty seen as reflecting general level of lawlessness.\u201d If animal cruelty is seen as a reflection of the general level of lawlessness in Dallas, South Dallas tells us were are in desperate trouble, but\u00a0Dowdy Ferry tells us we have gone third world gangster. We can\u2019t solve the problems if we are not all working from the same play book. The 2010 Human Society of the United States Shelter Evaluation: In 2010\/11, the Humane Society of the United States conducted a comprehensive\u00a0shelter evaluation of Dallas Animal Services. It was the observation of The HSUS team that the degree of enforcement of a violation depended upon the individual officer\u2019s interpretation of the infraction. This is still an issue today, the interpretation of the law is going to be important to solving this roadblock to compliance. We\u2019re looking forward to a spirited conversation filled with healthy, collaborative, respectful conflict resulting in innovative solutions. See you there! FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE | REFERENCES City of Dallas Animal Ordinances:\u00a0Chapter 7 Code\u00a0 The State of Texas Animal Law: https:\/\/www.animallaw.info\/statute\/tx-dog-consolidated-dog-laws http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/Docs\/HS\/htm\/HS.822.htm https:\/\/www.dshs.state.tx.us\/idcu\/health\/zoonosis\/laws\/rules\/ &nbsp; SPCA\u2019s link to cruelty law:\u00a0http:\/\/www.spca.org\/law From the THLN\u2019s site: direct links to: Current Texas Animal Laws (PDF format) Laws That Affect Animal Shelters(PDF format) Dog or Cat Breeders Act(PDF format) Licensed Dog or Cat Breeders Regulations(PDF format)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-follow-our-progress-with-the-city","category-this-that","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/LawsForPaws_post2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7802"}],"version-history":[{"count":58,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7875,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7802\/revisions\/7875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gypsydogops.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}