Boulder, CO...In a bold and progressive move on behalf
of animals, the Boulder City Council voted 8-1 to accept a proposal to
change the city's municipal code to refer to people as the guardian of
their companion animals instead of as their "owners."
Erasing the category of "owner" does not change a
person's legal rights, responsibilities and liabilities to their
companion animals, and animals will still be deemed property. However,
by codifying the concept of animal guardianship, the City Council is
recognizing that companion animals should be included in our social
ethic for reasons beyond their monetary worth as commodities.
"The Boulder City Council should be commended for their
foresight and conviction of recognizing companion animals, not as mere
objects to be bought, sold and discarded at their "owner's" whim, but as
individuals with needs and interests of their own," said Elliot Katz,
DVM, president of In Defense of Animals (IDA). "This was definitely a
complete community effort and the City Council recognized that there was
a big base of support from the local newspaper, the Humane Society of
Boulder Valley, university professors and many citizens. Boulder is
truly on the cutting edge in terms of evolving our social ethic to
include all beings, both human and non-human alike. Hopefully, other
communities will follow Boulder's progressive lead and add the category
of animal guardian to their municipal codes."
Other communities and cities have begun the process to
codify the category of animal guardian. In San Francisco and Marin
County, CA, the Commission of Animal Care and Control have recommended
that the Board of Supervisors add the category of guardian and the
Berkeley, CA Humane Commission will discuss the issue next week.
"The word "guardian" denotes a higher level of
responsibility towards another being," said Jan McHugh, Executive
Director of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. "Although it is a
simple language change that does not alter the legal status of animals
as property, we hope that the increased awareness of the "guardian"
language will elevate the status of animals in our community. We will
use the word "guardian" as another tool to fight animal abuse and
exploitation."
"I am so proud of Boulder's City Council," said Rita
Anderson, the local citizen who introduced the proposal and was
instrumental in gaining community support. "I am absolutely convinced
that this is a positive step for both the people and animals of Boulder,
and I would really like to thank everyone involved for having the
conviction and courage to stand together on behalf of the animals."
Source: Russell Tenofsky <[email protected]>
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