The Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority clearly doesn't know anything about animals. Dump them and find a no-kill organization that does. My cat is NOT getting any rabies vaccine. He's over 10 years old, strictly an indoor cat, and the vet says NO to the rabies vaccine. He also called the SVACA "idiots" and "mercenaries."

Finally something is being done about all the rabid cats I see running around my neighborhood.

Oh wait... I never see rabid cats running around my neighborhood.

What is prompting the City Council to require rabies vaccines for cats in the first place? Is there a problem that need addressing?

I'm more inclined to think it has more to do with sending some revenue over to the newly hired animal control people.

I was extremely disappointed to learn from a council member that they never even visited either the Palo Alto Animal Services facility or the SVACA before deciding to change from one to the other. In fact I was clearly told that, in this case, they pretty much went with whatever staff recommended. Sounds like it's all about money and power, not necessarily what is in the best interest of pet owners. One has to wonder if anyone on the council has a cat!

Is this another example of too much government?

Go after irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs crap in parks or on other private property and do not even clean it up!!!

Or the idiots that let their dogs run wild without a leash!!!

If they are looking for revenue there is a fortune to be made there.

Try enforcing existing laws instead of making new ones!!!!

There is a lot wrong with the proposals by the City Council, not the least of which is a yearly Rabies vaccine for cats?? What?? When was the last time any of them vaccinated a cat against rabies? When a cat is initially vaccinated, they need to be revaccinated the next year...after that it is every 3 years. Why are they requiring vaccinations that go against normal veterinary practices?

Our two splendid indoor/outdoor cats have microchip implants. They don't need no stinking badges --- excuse me, collars and tags. We can't keep "safe" collars on them anyway. They just pull them off. This is just another example of ignorant bureaucrats and animals' rights idiots run amok.

I have to agree with Grover's comments. Enforce existing laws and don't worry about dreaming up new unnecessary ones. There are way too many dogs running around our parks without leashes and owners not cleaning up after them. All they have to do is visit our Mountain View parks. Plenty of money to be made from citations and actually enforcing the law will be beneficial to residents of our city.

I wonder how many of the people upset over these excessive government rules and regulations have Obmama stickers their cars.

Whoa Grover! I'd be afraid to meet you in a park. You have some serious anger issues. My dog is a lot more friendly, and I clean up her poop.

It's tiring when people bring up concerns about "too much government" in relation to just about any issue. While I can understand their concern, could we focus on the topic at hand, which in this case is rabies shots for cats or which shelter the city council has chosen for its residents?

@Dogs are people too!

Well perhaps you are one of the many responsible dog owners.

You do have a problem with intreprating informal communication in a negative manner, so perhaps you are the one with issues.

No need to be affraid to meet me in a park, I am a fun loving person.

You need to watch out for the dog running wild in a park who will eat your happy dog for lunch.....

@ incognito I hear you, but it looks like no one really cares about the cats

I am disgusted with the City Councilmembers. Despite the outcry by residents in June, Bosel (Police Chief) met privately with SVACA and developed the pathetic, biased online survey -- the results of which will influence the Council's vote. No animal welfare organization or resident from the community was consulted for their input. Bosel knows nothing of animal welfare or rescue.

We do not know the Councilmembers positions on this issue. They have been silent. We voted them in and have a right to know if they are going to merely vote for the ordinance as a favor to SVACA. Their reluctance and silence is appalling.

Hello,
voicing your opinion here is fine and good, but if you want to have an influence on the council members, please do GO to the meeting tonight and SPEAK during your small allocated time.
It does not have to be fancy, just GO, at least your presence will encourage the other speakers.

If you cannot go, try to send your comments in an email to the council early this afternoon and hope they will have time to read them. Good luck.

I think that is great that the city will hear our views concerning this ordinance. The purpose of the ordinance is to protect our pets. Having said that, rabies shot practices should follow normal veterinarian practices. Only 2% of cats without microchips that get lost are returned to their caretakers while 38% of lost cats with microchips that get lost are returned to their caretakers. Make microchips a requirement! We should be willing to pay license fees to support animal control and to subsidize microchip services for low income folks.

Good suggestion Reine, but I have a better one. Anyone who is planning on going tonight should look for me! I won't be hard to find because I always wear my cowboy hat. I ran for Council last year and plan on running again next year. I would love to hear what people have to say on this issue. I was at the City Council meeting where it was discussed and voted on the first time and was the first to speak out against it at the second reading where the council reversed course.


Jim Neal
Old Mountain View

"It's tiring when people bring up concerns about "too much government" in relation to just about any issue."

If it wasn't for BIG Government sticking their BIG nose into places where it doesn't belong, we wouldn't be having this discussion about cats. The Govt is hurting for money since they don't know how to manage money wisely, all they know is how to spend spend spend. Easy to spend money when it's not your money. Just look out, new laws will be enacted to steal more money from the average joe, to pay for the HSR Train, The Delta water diversion. Oh and then we won't have enough money for the schools, the kids then they will come begging for more. So yes, this has to do a lot with this story and many other stories to come. Bottom line is always money and everyone has their price.

Impossible to keep a collar on a cat.

Contact should be made with Ben Sun, DVM, and main rabies and infectious disease dr. employed by the State of California, who has REAL statistics on rabies, # of cases a year in California (3-5), and number 1 carrier (skunks). This is an attempt to generate revenue and likely frighten people into compliance, i.e., the perils their animals and CHILDREN may face w/rabid animals running around. And the painful shots in the stomach (which no longer exist; they're given at the bite site and then 5 or 6 shots in opposite arms), and hurt about as much as a tetanus shot. Having been through the series of shots, stories about knitting-needle sized injections in the abdomen are not even accurate.

If you know me, and want to contact Ben Sun for empirically based information, email me.

Why are we going through this again? I thought with dozens of people responding to the first city council meeting regarding this ordinance that licensing cats was a closed issue. I'm not in favor of licensing cats or giving them rabies shots. I have a 15 year old house cat. My vet recommended that rabies shot not be given.

Oh, and not to mention the possibility of injection-site carcinoma and that current veterinary guidelines and practices do not recommend annual vaccinations. SVACA would have been wise to do a bit of research about vaccines prior to pushing the agenda to the public.

I totally agree that government is ramping up and pushing us all around: About our cats, our lifestyles, etc. Just look at ABAG & their mandates that make big $$ for the big developers they get to choose!

I think talking about is fine, the number of strays will always be a problem, dogs pooping in the park will be a problem. But we are talking rabies, the cause of rabies should be talked about. Why? I know people who feed raccoons or other wild animals which in some cases next to house hold animals.

Not everyone is a good caretaker of house hold animals but I know most people really care about their critters. Part of the family. But remember that the health of your animal is important to the other animal of the community.

So maybe a little friendly talking and concerns to animal and non animal owners. Just don't spend time trying to pass dumb laws.

I think talking about is fine, the number of strays will always be a problem, dogs pooping in the park will be a problem. But we are talking rabies, the cause of rabies should be talked about. Why? I know people who feed raccoons or other wild animals which in some cases next to house hold animals.

Not everyone is a good caretaker of house hold animals but I know most people really care about their critters. Part of the family. But remember that the health of your animal is important to the other animal of the community.

So maybe a little friendly talking and concerns to animal and non animal owners. Just don't spend time trying to pass dumb laws.

Just another attempt to expand government control and soak taxpayers

"Impossible to keep a collar on a cat":

Cat owners need to be less lazy.

"STUDY: 3 OUT OF 4 CATS WILL WEAR A COLLAR, MAKING IT WORTH A TRY"
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Almost three out of four cats in a new study wore collars consistently during a six-month study, suggesting that most cats will tolerate a collar even if their owners are skeptical about its success.


Web Link

@catownersarelazy perhaps you wouldn't mind if the city required you to wear a collar and register with the city?

Beware, the censors are on the prowl...

I asked if my nannies on city staff/council were going to clean my cat's litter box if I promised to license him and apparently that was not PC.

We have nannies to do things we don't like to do, no?

Indoor cats escape and become outdoor cats.
People abandon cats.
People do not always update the microchip registry when their phone/address changes.
It can be expensive and time consuming to read a microchip, if any exist (which is rare)
It makes sense to have them tagged so they can be re-united with their owners easily without processing through a shelter.
Most cats *can* take a collar, but owners give up too easily.
Even the much-heralded SF ASPCA vaccinates cats for rabies prior to adopting, so please ignore the anti-vaccinating cat nut-cases.

All politicians should be spayed and neutered to keep them from passing their genes on to future generations. Please, do it for the children. And the cats. The internet is made of cats.

Web Link

@CatsAreAnimals:

Are you aware that some of "the anti-vaccinating cat nut-cases" are professional veterinarians, who recommend that their patients (cats) not be vaccinated?

But I don't own a cat, so I have no dog in this fight... ;-)

@Darin: Since you seem to value the opinions of professional vetrinarians, then you might like to know that the American Veterinary Medical Association along with UC Davis Vet School recommend the rabies vaccination for kittens and cats throughout their lives. Does this mean that every vetrinarian is going to agree? No...but it doesn't make the small minority of vetrinarians that make these recommendations.

"Rabies Virus Vaccine: Rabies is an increasing threat to cats. At the present time, the number of reported feline rabies cases in the United States far exceeds that of all other domestic animals. Rabies in cats is also a major public health concern. Because of the routinely fatal outcome of infection in cats, and the potential for human exposure, rabies vaccination is highly recommended for all cats; it is required by law in most areas of the country."

-American Veterinary Medical Association

I vaccinate my animals, but that is my choice. As I think it should be the pets' owners decision with guidance from a veterinarian. That being said, I have been walking over the new walking path to google a lot this summer. I always see (even in broad daylight) families of raccoons, as well as skunks. Now, I keep my dogs on leash (and even clean up after them!) Not saying that the raccoons are rabid, but nocturnal animals that roam during the day are somewhat of a concern. So, to those people who let their pets roam or allow their dogs off leash unsupervised...just remember, their instinct is to chase animals (for the most part).

@KT: Well done on making the correct decision and vaccinating your animals. Vaccinations are effective when most people do them. The less often it is done, the greater the chance for epidemics. Rabies has been extremely well managed primarily due to the vaccination protocols, but if fewer animals are vaccinated, then we could be talking about people dying, especially small children who may not report small bites or scratches to their parents.

What happens if an infected child doesn't get treated before symptoms are visible? Dead. Dead, dead, and dead.

So, at the moment, it is *you choice* whether to rabies vaccinate your pets. But, think beyond yourself. Think about your neighbors, the community.. Should we really leave it up to the individual? Is this not a community decision?

It wasn't until 2011 that legislation was passed allowing dog owners - whose dogs met certain medical criteria - to be able to legally not jeopardize their dogs health with mandated rabies vaccinations. I hope that if Mountain View decides to mandate that cats be vaccinated against rabies, that any ordinance will be drafted to allow for similar medical exemptions.

My cats (littermates) both suffer from immune mediated health conditions, and because of these conditions, and based upon their veterinarians medical opinion, they have not received ANY vaccinations since the conditions were first identified shortly after they received their 2nd round of vaccinations as youngsters. So, regardless of what the city decides to do regarding any ordinance which may mandate vaccinating cats against rabies, I will NOT be vaccinating my cats.

The city has the ability to draft an ordinance that will not result in my having to become a willful law breaker, but if they don't, then I will be taking a walk on the wild side.

The link below discusses Molly's Bill:

Web Link