The County Council last Tuesday unanimously passed a bill establishing a committee to advise the council and the county executive about issues related to animal care and welfare.
Bill 37-21, Animal Control– Animal Services Advisory Committee– Established created the committee to focus on issues such as animal rescue, fostering and adoption, controlling the animal population, animal bite prevention and educating the public on safely coexisting with wildlife, as well as advice the Office of Animal Services on operating issues.
“A caring community shows compassion for all our animal friends, especially those who are lost or suffering,“ Council President Gabe Albornoz (D-At Large), who spearheaded the legislation, said in a press release. “The mission of our Animal Services and Adoption Center is not only providing care for lost and stray animals but also finding them loving homes. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’“
The Animal Services Advisory Committee will have 11 voting members, who will represent different stakeholders, and three non-voting ex officio members from the Office of Animal Services. All members will be appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the council.
“Moreover, the County is home to a wide variety of animal care experts and related organizations that can provide OAS with support and expertise that will allow OAS to better serve residents and animals,“ according to the release.
The Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee amended the bill “to specify representatives from MCPAW, Second Chance Wildlife Center, and the Montgomery County Cat Coalition should be appointed as long as those organizations continue to operate in the county,“ the report adds.
Photo “Cats for adoption” by gomagoti is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0