On 9/2/10, Jim Morse wrote:
Marie, People are asking what happened to the Spay/Neuter Ordinance.
On 9/2/10, Marie Mazzeo wrote:
Thanks Jim for sharing this with me. Unfortunately, the ordinance is dragging. I've tried calling and e-mailing Karen Rose to meet as it was left at the last council meeting.
This week alone I worked with two families in Medford with litters of kittens. One family didn't even know I existed and was able to help them with low cost assistance for them to spay and neuter.
The sad part about how some of the councilors feel about the ordinance is that it is FORCING PEOPLE TO SPAY AND NEUTER AND HOW WILL YOU ENFORCE IT.
If we have the ordinance, it would let everyone in the city that would like to spay and neuter but can't affordto do it to be able to spay and neuter because we will make it affordable. They will have a place to go.
As always it will be those individuals that just don't care, but it will stop these backyard breeders who are making an illegal buck and turning the city of Medford as one person told me "like living down south".
Enforcing it won't be hard because we get all the disgruntled calls. Animal control doesn't have the time. I called Pat Hogan two weeks ago about an abandoned pet. I had all the information on the person who did it. Abuse of an animal is a $2500 fine in MA. To date, I have never received a call back from him which is the complaint of many Medford residents. People break the laws when they know that they can get away with them. Do you think this person cares about what they did when they never heard from the ACO after I told her that I was reporting her?
A resident gave me paperwork that he received from the city, delivered by a constable (Why are we paying a constable to deliver?), of fines on his dog. How is this fine being enforced. To date I still have the paperwork so I know that no payment has been made. Why maybe - because we have one ACO and we don't enforce our laws.
Paul your question to me the night of the meeting was that I won't always be here. I am in the process of setting up a paid position at Kitty Connection. This paid position would handle all low cost spay/neuter which would be able to also coordinate the ordinance. Like the president of the US, he leaves after 4 or 8 years and someone else take over. Some do a good job and some don't. It doesn't have to be me that makes the ordinance work. Everyone needs a job and this job will get the work done. Since none of us know when the Big Guy is going to call us home, the good thing is that we all do the best we can while we are here. While I'm here, I can make this ordinance work. Once the ground work is done, then anyone can continue to make it work.
There are auxiliary fire and police. Why can't there be auxiliary ACO assistance. These individuals would be able to assist with the enforcement of animal laws.
People get away with things because no one has the time. Even those in paid positions. Does Pat have the time to sit in court to get the money for these fines? But many animal people have flexible schedules to be able to do just that.
Everyone is up in arms over the coyotes near the school which are harmless compared to Fischer cats which are in Medford and are not nocturnal. They are in the weasel family and extremely vicious. Keep populating Medford with kittens and cats and you will only encourage more and more wildlife to roam our city streets rather than stay in the woods where they belong.
Jim please share this on the Medford Group. If the people of Medford want a city where animals are respected and only bred by licensed breeders, then they should be calling the City Councilors to support this ordinance.
I want to thanf Breanna Lungo and Bob Maiocco for their support of the ordinance and Breanna's ongoing assistance to help with connecting with the board of health.
I would like to ask any City Councilor that has a concern or questions about the ordinance to let me know so that I can answer your questions and concerns.
Paul, your concerns prompted me to take steps to resolve your question, If I answered your question, I hope that you will support the ordinance or at least direct other concerns that are preventing your support to me.
There are grants out there for Spaying and Neutering that the City of Medford as well as Kitty Connection, Inc. can receive. With the support of the Councilors, Kitty Connection and the people of Medford that care about animals, the ordinance will work. Every pet owner in Medford will know that there is an ordinance and will have the opportunity to spay/neuter their pets and if they choose not to spay/neuter, then they better make sure that it doesn't have offspring.
Again, thank you Jim for bringing this to everyone.
Marie J Mazzeo
President
Kitty Connection, Inc.
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