The Sportsmen’s Alliance heard news last night that the Mercer County Commission will attempt to pass a leash law next Tuesday, September 26 that has NO exemptions for hunting, training, herding, or any other activity where sportsmen utilize dogs off leash. According to Sportsmen Alliance members in the area, this extreme leash law has been quietly discussed for a few weeks, and commissioners are clearly attempting to pass it without anyone taking notice.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance has zero problem with attempts to control dogs running at large in towns and cities, but this ordinance is a “one size” boondoggle that makes no allowance for all the instances where dogs cannot be on a leash to effectively do its job. Hunting and training of sporting dogs are just two examples, along with all the farms throughout the region using dogs to help herd and protect cattle, sheep, and other livestock.
“It’s almost like these commissioners forgot where they live and are trying to bring big city values to the sportsmen and women who live in Mercer County,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Any competent school kid could write an amendment to exempt hunting, training, and animal husbandry from this terrible proposal, so it appears these commissioners don’t care about who they are hurting.”
If you live in Mercer County, please use our Take Action to email the County Commissioners urging them to oppose the proposed leash law. Don’t forget to share this alert with family, friends, and fellow sportsmen who live in Mercer County.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
