Changes to a Mercer County, West Virginia, leash law ordinance were tabled last month but have been scheduled for discussion tomorrow, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. The county commission will meet to discuss the leash law ordinance further and possibly vote to place it on first reading. If changes were made to the ordinance between the meeting on Oct. 24 and today, we have not seen them prior to this alert being sent out.
The last set of changes to ordinance were made over a month ago, but unfortunately those changes did not go far enough. The revised ordinance still does not appropriately protect sporting, hunting and working dogs – such as off-leash training and field trials, as well as working dogs on farms throughout the country that herd cattle, sheep and other livestock.
At the Oct. 24 meeting, Commissioner Greg Puckett felt the revised ordinance sufficiently protected sporting and hunting dogs. As we all know, if laws are not specific and we rely on intent and interpretation, then law-abiding citizens become criminals. It is due to this vague language that sportsmen need to continue to email the commissioners urging them to ensure the complete protection of sporting and hunting dogs from being considered “at large.”
If you live in Mercer County, please use our Take Action button to email the commissioners, urging them to make the appropriate changes to the leash law ordinance to protect sporting and hunting dogs and any dog working in service to its owner.
Don’t forget to share this alert with family, friends, and fellow sportsmen who live in Mercer County and ask them to do the same.
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.
