Town makes it illegal to own more than 3 cats

Tue Nov 3, 2009 3:45 PM EST

DUDLEY — It's now illegal in one Massachusetts town to own more than three cats without getting a special license. Voters at a town meeting in Dudley on Monday night added language to a town bylaw that makes it illegal to own more than three cats without a $50 residential kennel license. Dudley is about 60 miles southwest of Boston.

The article was in response to a neighborhood feud over the 15 cats owned by Mary Ellen Richards.

The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester reports that one neighbor claimed the cats have ruined his yard.

Richards has put her home up for sale and says she plans to move to a "more cat-friendly community."

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Information from: Telegram & Gazette, http://www.telegram.com

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Public Discussion (14)

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6.8

2.6

{"commentId":10453353,"authorDomain":"british-lassy333"}

Britlassy

Having inside cats that never leave the house or are securely and completely fenced in on their own property, is and should be at the discretion of the owner.

But allowing cats to roam onto other properties and do mischievous things that damage..... is quite another...

Nevertheless, these guidelines should have been mandated before restricting what people can have inside their homes as companions and pets.

Good for her moving to a cat friendly area, but truly a cats life has been shown to be far longer living indoors than those that spend time outside.

{"commentId":10453353,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"british-lassy333"}

3 votes

#1 - Tue Nov 3, 2009 4:36 PM EST

{"commentId":10488437,"authorDomain":"wikkidkat"}

wikkidkat

Why should anyone have to move just because they have "too many" pets? I have four indoor rescue cats, all neutered, two neutered rescued indoor dogs, and several rescued birds.

They are all up to date on shots and licenses (except birds-just checkups). It seems to me this kennel fee is just another "tax" on those of us willing to save these loving critters from death at the pound. Do we not pay enough already in adoption fees and also supporting our local veterinarian?

I already spent way too much on my home because it came with a grandfathered fence high enough that my dogs and cats can't get over it when I let them out in the back yard. God bless the HOA, LOL.

My critters are my babies. If I had to pay for a kennel license to keep them, I would. I already have to pay county fees to keep the dogs.

Mary, I wish you would keep your house and stay and fight this inane law. Don't the police have more important things to do than enforce this crap? Funny there's ass in the word Massachusetts.

{"commentId":10488437,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"wikkidkat"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Thu Nov 5, 2009 7:13 AM EST

{"commentId":10457341,"authorDomain":"zomzom"}

Zom Zom

What a terrible and depressing place to live.

{"commentId":10457341,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"zomzom"}

2 votes

#2 - Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:39 PM EST

{"commentId":10457372,"authorDomain":"alkimija"}

alkimija

I'd move, too. Talk about a big-brother-gone-mad piece of @!$%# town.

{"commentId":10457372,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"alkimija"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:41 PM EST

{"commentId":10462646,"authorDomain":"thelopes"}

thelopes

I have to wonder if there's a timeframe break of the law for cat births, as you'd suddenly be breaking the law until you can give away the kittens.

{"commentId":10462646,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"thelopes"}

2 votes

#2.2 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 1:23 AM EST

{"commentId":10468932,"authorDomain":"zomzom"}

Zom Zom

Haha. I like that, thelopes. Your cat has a litter, and the police show up: "excuse me, ma'am, you're going to haveta to hand those over. They're contraband kittens."

{"commentId":10468932,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"zomzom"}

2 votes

#2.3 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 11:12 AM EST

{"commentId":10478116,"authorDomain":"heliobat"}

Steech

To me, it sounds like a half-hearted measure passed to placate a chronic complainer. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing designed to improve society. That said, it doesn't seem to be very well constructed.

By criminalizing ownership of 4 or more cats, local law enforcement can now issue citations and satisfy the neighbor's complaints. However, at the modest price of $50.00, the cats' owner can buy a license to just keep doing what she's doing. Law enforcement doesn't seem to have a way to respond to the neighbor's continued compaints if she does. I don't see how the problem is solved.

Now, if the law was constructed to criminalize or restrict hoarding, it'd be a different thing altogether. I think we all have an idea of the "crazy cat lady" and why that can be unhealthy - both to humans and to the animals. It's fair to try to discourage hoarders, but this is clearly not the law's intention either. We each have our own ideas of where the "crazy cat lady" boundary is defined, but I think we all presume it's at a greater number than 4.

If the rule had been passed as anything other than a by-law in a town hall meeting (New England is the ancestral home of democratic local government, after all), the cynic in me would wonder if it wasn't just a revenue generating device. At the risk of sound anti-democratic, I think this is actually an example of why you don't award the mob legislative powers.

{"commentId":10478116,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"heliobat"}

#2.4 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 4:27 PM EST

{"commentId":10459601,"authorDomain":"Eflanagan"}

Eflanagan

People need to realize the important issues

{"commentId":10459601,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"Eflanagan"}

#3 - Tue Nov 3, 2009 9:43 PM EST

{"commentId":10461738,"authorDomain":"stinkweepete"}

Stinkweed Pete

Cat population goes down...

...Mouse trap sales go up.

I smell a conspiracy.

{"commentId":10461738,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"stinkweepete"}

4 votes

#4 - Tue Nov 3, 2009 11:57 PM EST

{"commentId":10462749,"authorDomain":"british-lassy333"}

Britlassy

LOL Pete

{"commentId":10462749,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"british-lassy333"}

2 votes

#4.1 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 1:36 AM EST

{"commentId":10469482,"authorDomain":"Jamesdevore"}

James.Devore

strangely pete you make sense... well the black market price of contraband kittehs is gonna skyrocket

{"commentId":10469482,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"Jamesdevore"}

2 votes

#4.2 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 11:30 AM EST

{"commentId":10474086,"authorDomain":"starjsc123"}

jeanette-1355722

I have a couple of cats that stay inside, I have no rats or mice. I can understand cats that are outside always messing up peoples flowers and cars etc. But what about dogs? I like dogs, but is there going to be a law against owning three of them? Kids, they do more damage than any cat could - breaking windows, making noise, writing on your sidewalks etc. will there be a law on them also??????????

{"commentId":10474086,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"starjsc123"}

1 vote

#5 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 1:55 PM EST

{"commentId":10474148,"authorDomain":"starjsc123"}

jeanette-1355722

By the way, are any of the cats fixed??

{"commentId":10474148,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"starjsc123"}

#6 - Wed Nov 4, 2009 1:57 PM EST

{"commentId":10588859,"authorDomain":"keekee66"}

Anonomous1

As a resident of Massachusetts I am appalled that a law like this would be put into place. Our freedoms are literally disappearing down the drain. The issue that sparked this law was a board of health issue. The lady had 15 cats with animal feces everywhere that was causing a disturbance to the neighbors. I totally understand where there coming from being upset but many people I know have more than 3 cats and you wouldn't even know they were there. How can you tell someone that in your own personal house you can only have 3 cats, might as well say you can only have 4 forks and 3 spoons. The lady mentioned should have had the board of health involved in looking into the lady and if indeed was as described and causing a disturbance beyond the lady's own home then proper action should have been taken. And I understand it's $50 for the license but its just the principle of people's rights. Obviously if your cats are running around the neighborhood then it becomes others problems but to have 4 or 5 cats in my household being clean and well kept is nobody else's business but my own.

{"commentId":10588859,"threadId":"715861","contentId":"3457054","authorDomain":"keekee66"}

#7 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:58 AM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"715861","isPrivate":false}

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