MINUTES
San Francisco Commission of Animal Control & Welfare
Thursday, February 20, 2014
1. Call to Order and Roll Call at 5:30pm
Commissioners present: Annemarie Fortier; Jennifer Mieuli Jameson; Susanna Russo; Sally Stephens; Russell Tenofsky
2. General Public Comment
No public comment.
3. Approval of Draft Minutes from the January 16, 2014 Meeting
No public comment.
Minutes Approved.
4. Chairperson’s Report
No report.
6. Items to be Put on the Calendar for Future Commission Meetings (Note, out of order)
Commissioner Stephens - We should give people a chance to think of what they would like on the upcoming agenda. Two items I know will be on the agenda for next month, possibly the April as well. The first one is Commissioner Marks has asked that we talk about coyotes and as we approach pup season, it is good to remind people about being coyote aware in the parks. I will contact Project Coyote to see if they will come to speak. They came a year or two ago. They are the ones that Park and Rec and ACC have worked with. Also, continuing the discussion on the Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit, the Police Commission meets every Wednesday, although they often cancel. I am planning to go to an upcoming meeting, where they host public comment. This is budget season, so I will make sure it gets budgeted. If any commissioners want to join, let me know. We can have three, any more than that is a quorum and is not allowed. We did vote a couple of months ago to support continuation of the unit. And see if someone from the SFPD, other than Officer Denny, could come to speak to us. Any other suggestions?
Commissioner Tenofsky - It would be good to fill that position soon.
Commissioner Stephens - He retires in June.
Commissioner Tenofsky - I have noticed on social media that people are starting to work on a petition to get Governor Brown to ban cat de-clawing in the state. The law passed in 2009 in San Francisco. It would be good to bring up this issue with the Commission.
Commissioner Stephens - The Commission pushed to get it banned in San Francisco and succeeded. After we did it, there were about five or six counties that did it around the same time, before a statewide ban on municipalities banning de-clawing went into effect. There is big opposition, including many veterinarians. Some believe that cats may be turned in to shelters if they are not de-clawed. I’m not sure, maybe we can get someone in to discuss it. There is a group in LA called the Paw Project that does restorative surgery on large cats, like lions and mountain lions, who have been taken as pets and de-clawed. Many of them are so disabled they can’t even walk. She spoke to the Commission in the past and was very helpful, with statistics. Another concern is about HIV patients may be at risk of being scratched. I can’t remember it all now, but the Commission demonstrated that it was not a concern. Plus, there is a paw protector available that prevents cats from scratching.
Commissioner Russo - There are other states that are trying to ban de-clawing, like Colorado.
Commissioner Stephens - We cannot discuss further because it was not agendized for today.
Commissioner Fortier - We should find a way to recognize Officer Denny before he leaves us.
Commissioner Stephens - We do not know if the department is planning a replacement for him. We can’t discuss further, as it was not agendized. We will talk about it next month. Any other topics that anyone had in mind?
Commissioner Fortier - Will we have a follow-up from the Park and Rec department on citations for violations of dogwalking permits?
Commissioner Stephens - There can be. Any Public Comment? No Public Comment.
5. General Public Comment (Note, out of order)
No public comment.
7. Follow-up to Previous Meeting
Commissioner Tenofsky - Gem, the Recology dog, has been adopted by someone. She is in her new, loving home. She was adopted from someone from Recology, and she can go to work at Recology.
Commissioner Stephens - Thank you for mentioning that. I forgot to give an update on Gem. It was on the news. Any public comment on Gem? No public comment.
8. Adjournment 5:47
