2012/07/25 Council Agenda Packet

information gathered by the Vicious Animal Legislation Task Force of Prince George's County to show legislators that breed-discriminatory laws were ineffective and costly. In 2005, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Anna Cieslewicz Act33, which provided funding for a pet-population-control fund through public-safety fines, differential-licensing fees, a tax check-off, donations, and license-plate revenues. The fund allows recognized feral-cat caretakers or dog and cat owners who are on Social Security disability benefits or food stamps to get their animals sterilized and vaccinated for only $15. Instead of focusing on breed, the Legislature concentrated on reducing the stray-animal population and dogs running at large. The fear of breed bans in the Land of Lincoln continued to percolate, even permeating the school system. In 2006, students from Brentano Math and Science Academy in Chicago were the winners of a "best resolution" contest. They authored H.R. 1026, which states that dog-control problems are created by people and are not limited to a breed or mix. The resolution says that singling out breeds of dogs as vicious or banning them only shifts the responsibility from the dog owner, where it belongs, to the breed of dog, and does not solve community dog problems. It was resolved that municipalities, as effective strategies for keeping communities safe, should be encouraged to address animal attacks by enforcing laws that promote responsible and humane treatment of dogs and all other animals; teaching communities about responsible dog ownership; creating awareness; and punishing illegal dog fighting.34 These middle-school children did the research, and their resolution favored sound public-safety policy, not panic policy. Other states have also avoided panic policymaking by pursuing sensible solutions to the problem of dangerous dogs. In Virginia, the death of a Spotsylvania woman sparked such outrage over Virginia's inadequate dangerous-dog law that a new dangerous-dog law35 that included a Dangerous Dog Registry36 was passed. According to Michelle Welch, an attorney with the Office of Attorney General, the registry was something that many in animal control had wanted for a long time 33 Illinois Public Act 94-0639,Ch.8,Effective date Aug.22,2005. 34 Illinois House Resolution,HR1026,Adopted May 4,2006. 35 VA.CODE ANN.§3.1-796.93:1(2007). 36 VA.CODE ANN.§3.1-796.93:3(2007).