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Bill Summary
Location Bill  Title  Date  Category
Washington  Spokane WA 2016  Prohibits the use of bull hooks or similar devices on elephants  3/4/2016  Passed
Summary
Bill Text

Spokane, WA proposed bull hook ordinance

03/07/2016 - First Reading at 6:00pm PST

 

Text of the ordinance:

 

ORDINANCE NO. C 35371

An ordinance relating to animal welfare and the prevention of animal cruelty;

amending section 10.23A.050 and enacting new section 10.03.140 of the Spokane Municipal Code.

 

WHEREAS, The City of Spokane possesses broad police power to regulate in areas of local concern; and

 

WHEREAS, Animal cruelty, the inhumane treatment of animals, and the mistreatment of animals is an area of public concern in the City of Spokane; and

 

WHEREAS, A “bullhook,” also known as an ankus, elephant goad, elephant hook, or guide, resembles a boat hook or fireplace poker, has a sharp steel hook and a spiked tip, it is used to prod, hook, strike, and hit elephants in sensitive areas of their skin in order to inflict pain during training, performing, and handling; and

 

WHEREAS, Bullhooks are often swung at elephants like baseball bats to induce substantial pain in an elephant and the hook is used to apply varying degrees of pressure to sensitive areas in order to coerce the elephant to avoid the source of pain; and

 

WHEREAS, The mere brandishing, displaying or exhibiting the bullhook is a constant reminder of the painful punishment that can be delivered at any time;

 

WHEREAS, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums avoids the use of bullhooks; and The Performing Animal Welfare Society, and world-renowned elephant experts, such as Dr. Joyce Poole and Dr. Cynthia Moss; as well as numerous wildlife veterinarians and Conservationists oppose the use of bullhooks as methods of training or coercion of performing elephants; and

 

WHEREAS, the California State Senate recently passed a bill which would prohibit the use of bullhooks in the state of California, supplementing the ban on bullhooks put in place by the cities of Los Angeles, California and Oakland, California; and

 

WHEREAS, in March of 2015, Feld Entertainment, Inc. announced plans to remove Asian elephants from their traveling circus performances, and relocate those elephants to the Center for Elephant Conservation by 2018; and

 

WHEREAS, The City has a compelling and continuing interest in protecting animals within its City boundaries from cruel and inhumane treatment, including those animals which are used for display or entertainment on an itinerant basis, and in preventing animal abuse and mistreatment.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the City of Spokane does ordain:

 

Section 1. That section 10.23A.050of the Spokane Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:

 

Section 10.23A.050 Special Regulations for Circuses, Carnivals, Concerts, and Dances

A.            An applicant for a permit under this section must make application at least thirty days prior to the date of the proposed event.

B.            The applicant must demonstrate that no principal, manager, or person having a proprietary interest in the event has a criminal history related to such person’s fitness to conduct the event, including specifically crimes of moral turpitude.

C.            If the event requires any special physical facilities, the applicant must furnish specific plans with the application.

D.            The applicant must show the character, number, and location of all potable water and other drinking, food, toilet, lavatory, waste collection, and emergency medical facilities available and to be provided.

E.            The applicant must demonstrate the adequacy of the vehicle parking plan which provides one off-street parking space for every four persons expected to attend.

F.            The applicant must show plans for traffic and crowd control by commissioned City police officers at the ratio of one traffic-control officer and one crowd-control officer for every two hundred persons expected to attend.

G.           The applicant must state the procedure to be used to limit further attendance in the event attendance exceeds the capacity of the approved physical, sanitation, or law enforcement facilities.

H.            The applicant must certify at the time of application that it is and will remain in compliance with SMC 10.03.140 at all times covered by the permit granted under this section.

I.             Expiration and Transfer. The permit under this section is issued to a particular sponsor for a single event.

The permit expires upon conclusion of the event and is not transferable. Unless otherwise determined by the license officer, the licensee must have the physical facilities provided for a circus, carnival, concert, or dance in place and ready for inspection by all interested officials five days prior to the event. A license issued under this section is not subject to the requirements listed elsewhere in this chapter.

J.             Failure to adhere to the requirements stated in this section shall be grounds for revocation of the permit pursuant to SMC 10.23A.070 and Chapter 4.04, SMC.

 

Section 2.

 

That new section 10.03.140 of the Spokane Municipal Code is enacted as follows: Section 10.03.140 Prevention of animal cruelty

1.            It shall be unlawful for any person, within the City of Spokane, to use a bullhook, ankus, baseball bat, axe handle, elephant hook, pitchfork or other implement or tool designed to inflict pain for the purpose of training or controlling the behavior of an elephant. Use prohibited by this section

includes, without limitation, the brandishing, exhibiting or displaying of such devices in the presence of an elephant.

2.            The display of animals in an act that engages the animal in unnatural behavior, an act in which the animal is wrestled, fought, mentally or physically harassed, or displayed in a manner that abuses the animal or causes the animal mental or physical stress is prohibited.

3.            Violation of this section is a class 1 civil infraction.

 

 

 


Details
Category   Date   Detail  
  Status 3/16/2016  Spokane City Council passes ban on bull hooks 
  Action-Expired 3/11/2016  Spokane City Council to vote on bull hook ban on Monday, March 14 
 


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