A Martin County, Fla., commissioner who had previously supported efforts to exempt felines from the countys leash law, now backs away from the idea.
Tuesday, July 11, commissioner Lee Weberman said he no longer planned to push a plan on behalf of the Hobe Sound Animal Protection League to change the leash law.
The county commission expanded its leash law in 2003 to require all owned pets be on leashes when off their owners property in an effort to control the feral cat population.
Members of the protection league approached Weberman several weeks ago and asked for his support to remove cats from that law.
Maris Sine of the animal protection league said they want to abolish the leash law so they can promote spaying and neutering abandoned cats and keeping them in colonies rather than being killed at shelters.
Weberman said Tuesday that he thought the league wanted only to reduce some of the fines, not exempt cats from leashes. He said a task force of residents asked for the leash law to be expanded in 2003, so he doesn't want to completely rewrite that law.
Sheriff's Lt. Jenell Atlas has said that the sheriff's office, which is responsible for animal control, is not interested in exempting cats from the leash law.
Posted: July 12, 2006, 5:00 a.m. EST