Dennis Township Needs an Animal Welfare Committee

To the Editor:
During this brutally cold winter, if you are an animal lover like I am, it would have been impossible to miss the heightened media blitz in the news regarding the welfare and humane treatment of animals and pets routinely kept outside and exposed to the weather. Animal Control Officers in many municipalities have encouraged citizen participation in identifying abused and distressed animals, and they have responded to many complaints with much dedication in the best interests of animal welfare.
As a result of this heightened media campaign, the ball has now started rolling forward, and many Cape May County municipalities are reviewing and assimilating improved animal control ordinances and enforcement powers; and most notably, Middle Township will introduce an ordinance establishing the formation of a citizen’s Animal Welfare Advisory Board March 17. This exemplary concept will involve seven voting members of the public, an Animal Control Officer, a veterinarian, a police liaison, and a secretary. According to Mayor Donohue, “the creation of an Animal Welfare Advisory Board in a diverse community like Middle Township is the right thing to do” and its main objectives will be to provide essential information regarding “safety and quality of life issues, promote and expand animal welfare programs already in place, and review current ordinances for deficiencies.” Donohue then cited that an “example would be the failure of our ordinance to address protecting pets from hot and cold temperature extremes” and that “this will be one of the board’s first priorities.”
Now let’s look at Dennis Township. On February 27, official correspondence was submitted to Mayor Murphy and Township Committee seeking to establish a Citizen’s Animal Welfare Subcommittee to perform the same “safety and quality of life” advisory oversight that will soon be commencing in Middle Township. But the ball rolling forward stopped swiftly in Dennis March 6. A three-paragraph response letter from Dennis Township Attorney Jeffery April was received by me advising that this matter was discussed by Township Committee at a workshop meeting on March 4 and that this matter would not be placed on any agenda to be publicly examined. Also, this letter steadfastly indicated that no public examination of new ordinances or current ordinances would be considered relative to the issues and concerns as related in this letter to the editor.
So there you have it. While Middle Township serves as an exemplarary model of inclusive, progressive, responsive government concerning animal welfare, Dennis Township continues its shameful and backward-thinking course of “business as usual” relative to citizen participation and upholding principles of safety and quality of life for both residents and animals. For the sake of our animals and pets, and to improve the quality of life in our communities, I implore all Dennis Township residents to ” speak out ” about this snubbing.