Bainbridge adopts animal ordinances

Thursday, February 12, 2009

BAINBRIDGE -- Town Council members Richard Cope, Bonnie Osborne and Naomi Barker passed two ordinances at Wednesday's meeting requiring all cats and dogs over the age of six months that are not permanently confined in a building or structure to be sterilized and provides a definition of who owns the pets.

"It's time we moved on with this issue. The county hasn't shown much in the way of moving forward, so we are going to do it," said Cope.

Both ordinances passed on the first reading and go into effect beginning May 1, 2009 if the pass second reading.

The first ordinance acknowledges that Bainbridge has an over population of domestic animals (cats and dogs) and the town seeks to reduce any unintentional reproduction by these animals.

They are requiring all animals over the age of six months that are not confined and can come into contact with other animals to be sterilized unless the owner has certification from a licensed veterinarian that the procedure is not in the best interest of the animal's health.

Ordinance two designates a person as an "owner" if they repeatedly provide care and well being to a domestic animal that has no identification indicating legal ownership by another party.

The term owner may be applied to a person or persons, if evidence is found that an animal has been fed, watered, sheltered, given bedding, groomed, had toys provided and been contained.

The ordinance also allows any police agency to collect evidence of ownership. The exemption to this is a person who harbors a stray, lost or abandoned animal no longer than 10 days and has notified authorities of the existence of the animal. It will be surrendered to an animal shelter after the 10th day.

A third ordinance was adopted on the first and second reading amending a zoning ordinance and map.

"The Planning committee approved this. It should have been zoned commercial in the first place. It's a commercial building," said Jim Nelson, Utility Director.

The property is owned by John and Marie Klein and is part of Lot Number 10 in the original plat of the town. It was reclassified from R2-Residential to B2- Business.

The town council also elected officers. Richard Cope will remain President and Bonnie Osborne will be Vice President.

The Bainbridge Town Council meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.

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  • What about the dogs that are allowed to run free? There is a family that has moved to Bainbridge and allows their dogs to run free. My yard has now become their bathroom. I keep my dogs confined, why shouldn't they have to? I thought that Bainbridge had a leash law..what gives?

    -- Posted by dzmwrr on Thu, Feb 12, 2009, at 7:52 AM
  • I agree that there is definitely a problem with over-population of animals in Bainbridge (especially cats)...however, how exactly is this going to be enforced? The intentions are great, but it becomes a waste of time for the town to spend time on such matters when the ordinance isn't going to really fix anything.

    -- Posted by bbridgeresident on Thu, Feb 12, 2009, at 8:55 AM
  • Another Bainbridge blunder! Why don't our town board focus on more important matters like a park for the children and residents.

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Thu, Feb 12, 2009, at 6:26 PM
  • I go to Depauw and I know what Im talking about. All you people do is go around and repeat what is taught to you to sound smart. Your not wise just because your mommy and daddy are paying for you to go to a high dollar school!

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 8:40 AM
  • "That is the kind of grammar I would expect in a Banner article, but in a comment." and you want to talk about sterotypes??? You have alot to learn young man or woman. Practice what you preach!!!

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 2:09 PM
  • Good Job Bainbridge Town Council!!

    Hopefully your progressive actions & forward thinking will spur the County government to stop ignoring the animal welfare & overpopulation problems that exist in Putnam County.

    There is NO EXCUSE for unaltered animals- not with the low cost spay-neuter clinic (SPOT) in Cloverdale. It is time for country folk to stop treating pets as livestock! Pets should be housed INSIDE loving homes, not confined 24/7 to too-small kennels, or chained in the back yard. Too many pets are allowed to roam free to attack or be attacked by other animals or hit by cars.

    Be a responsible pet owner- have your animals altered, vaccinated & most of all, LOVE THEM!

    -- Posted by Essie on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 2:48 PM
  • Way to go Bainbridge Town Council !!

    Hopefully your progressive action & forward thinking will spur the county government to stop ignoring the animal welfare & overpopulation problems in Putnam County.

    It's time for country folk to stop treating pets as livestock. Family pets belong INSIDE loving homes, not chained in the back yard, or confined 24/7 in a too-small kennel. Responsible pet owners do not allow their animals to run at large, to either attack, or be attacked by other animals, or hit by cars. Responsible pet owners prevent unwanted litters, and see that their pets are properly vaccinated & protected from Heartworm infestation.

    The SPOT Clinic in Cloverdale is a low cost spay/neuter facility that also offers vaccinations & microchipping. There is NO EXCUSE for a pet to not be altered.

    Did you know, that as a pet owner, if your animal is running at large and injures livestock or is hit by your car, that YOU can be held financially responsible for damages?

    WAKE UP PUTNAM COUNTY. A Society is judged by the way in which it's animals are treated...

    -- Posted by Essie on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 2:59 PM
  • I am happy Bainbridge has adopted this ordinance. Cats populate my yard with their waste daily. I can understand why they come to my yard it is clean! Really tired of it, I am an animal owner but this is ridiculous. Hopefully the town can get serious about this.

    -- Posted by bearcat on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 9:03 PM
  • Kudos, BB Town Council...but what I really want to know, is how can you stop my yard from being the neighborhood litter box for cats??? I am thoroughly disgusted and frustrated over the smelly cat feces all over my yard!!

    -- Posted by gmaof5 on Sat, Feb 14, 2009, at 2:26 PM
  • Another useless law tell me how they are going to enforce this?

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Sun, Feb 15, 2009, at 1:03 PM
  • DePauw 2012:

    Might want to check your grammar...."towards." You must be a Putnam native.

    -- Posted by blackbear on Sun, Feb 15, 2009, at 8:22 PM
  • If ya get sick and tired of strays pooping in your yard, shoot them, real simple, .22 Pistol and DONE!! One .06 cent bullet and no more mess and no more strays and no more unwanted animals. Coyotes and the Buzzards will pick up the rest, Green frendly right?

    -- Posted by Afghan Contractor on Mon, Feb 16, 2009, at 3:26 PM
  • 1stamendrights

    To close to home?

    -- Posted by reeltime on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 9:07 AM
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