Animal Control Ordinance
Originally Published: May 18, 2024
Public Forum Follow Up
The public forum for proposed changes to the Animal Control Ordinance was held on April 23rd. Jennifer Utz, Director of Emergency Services, provided an overview of changes to the ordinance. This public forum “is a four year culmination of input” with stakeholders, Utz said. Overall, changes include more specific definitions and policies throughout, the addition of provisions and regulations for the care and licensing of animals, control of unplanned breeding, impoundment, redemption and adoption, and prohibition of feeding cats in County owned parks. Utz also mentioned the county’s Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) policy, saying Animal Control networks with several rescues and colony caretakers. When responding to stray cat complaints, Animal Control educates the public on TNR if the cat is ear tipped, and recommends humane deterrents to keep the animals away.
Many speakers focused on the need to include TNR in the ordinance, rather than having it as a department policy. Supporters said prohibiting people from feeding cats on county land will cause a ripple effect as cats move into nearby neighborhoods looking for food. Diane Harris, President of Feral Cat Rescue and also a member of the Animal Control Advisory Board (ACAB), said “how we treat animals is a reflection of our society.” Feral Cat Rescue, Harris said, vetted nearly 800 cats last year, preventing the birth of thousands of kittens. With support of two local vet’s and the director of the animal shelter, Harris urged the Commissioners to rethink TNR’s inclusion.
Another hot topic was the proposed fees and fines. Several people worried the dog registration fee, which according to the ordinance will be set by the Commissioners each year, may be prohibitive for people on a fixed income. There were also questions about how the new license for 5 or more dogs would affect rescue organizations, households with multiple animals, and other unique situations. The ordinance, however, does state that a “commercial animal establishment” is a place where commercial breeding, boarding, grooming, sale or training “for which a fee is charged.” It specifically excludes from this definition “veterinary facilities, animal shelters, registered rescue organizations, or research facilities.”
Two former members of the ACAB, Drema Grunst and Melinda Brown, who now operate Give Me Shelter St. Mary’s County, spoke in favor of the ordinance as written. Grunst said Maryland is the “47th worst state in the nation for animal welfare laws. She left the board because the county wouldn’t support a low-cost spay/neuter clinic to help control the animal population. Brown and Grunst said the TNR policy should stay a policy because it allows flexibility for changes, where an ordinance must go through a lengthy revision process. The new and additional regulations will help promote the “humane keeping of animals,” Brown argued.
Originally, the Commissioners were scheduled to make a decision on the Animal Control Ordinance at their May 14th meeting. However, the decision has since been removed from the Commissioners upcoming agendas.
