Westport BOH takes no action on animal list

Packed house urges board to get started on farm animal registry

By Bruce Burdett
Posted 9/19/18

WESTPORT — They were nearly unanimous in their support for a farm animal registry in Westport but a large Town Hall crowd could not convince the Board of Health to take action last Tuesday, Sept. …

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Westport BOH takes no action on animal list

Packed house urges board to get started on farm animal registry

Posted

WESTPORT — They were nearly unanimous in their support for a farm animal registry in Westport but a large Town Hall crowd could not convince the Board of Health to take action last Tuesday, Sept. 11.

At the end of the meeting, two members of the board expressed support for at least the concept of an animal registry.

“Putting together the list is a good idea,” said board member Philip Weinberg, the question is “how do you actually implement it? … In principle, I think knowing where the animals are makes sense and would not be overly intrusive.”

Board Vice-chairman Maury May said he favors a two-stage approach. He described phase one being done without a budget, a bare bones site created with the knowledge of all involved — BOH, police, animal control officer …

Phase two, a more complete list, could be created if the town and voters at town meeting approve $56,000 for the task, hopefully to hire one person.

When, near the end of the meeting, an audience member pressed board Chairman William Harkins for his position, matters got testy.

“May I ask you as a bard to please, right now, make a motion to support the creation of an animal site registry? I hope that the board will step up to the plate,” she said, noting that board members had voiced some support for the idea.

“I did not say I was open to the registry at all,” Mr. Harkins replied.

Later, after other members had voiced some measure of support, Ms. Gee again pressed Mr. Harkins to say whether he supports a registry.

“I will not answer that question,” he said.

The meeting ended without a vote.

Many voice support for registry

Members of the audience that filled the Board of Selectmen room to its legal limit — others ha to stand out in the hall — had no trouble expressing their feelings about an animal registry. All but one were strongly in favor.

Daphne Gordon said she was saddened and embarrassed when she learned what had happened to animals off American Legion Highway. In Essex, Mass., where she lived years ago, they have had had a registry for over 20 years, “a wonderful system … an officer would come around once a year” so knew how many horses we had — if one got loose, they knew who owned it.

“I am very dissatisfied with the response of town officials to the situation of animal neglect and abuse,” said Terry Somerson, adding that anyone who thinks that only a small group of “dedicated, vocal people in town are watching you, you are really wrong.”

“I do not understand why any reasonable person would object to a system that requires a farmer to maintain control over his animals, to know what animals he has and where those animals are. Any responsible business does that. I personally look forward to a time when animals are not viewed as commodities and inventory, when people who work to protect them are not characterized derisively as animal rights activists.”

Detective Jeff Majewski said he was involved in the investigation into both American Legion Highway animal cruelty cases (2010 and 2016)), along with many others, and “I am in support of this program to register the animals based on the things that I have seen … 2010 and 2016 would not have happened if this was in effect because there would have been an accounting of the animals.”

“The town needs to be aware of where the small animal areas are,” he said, calling some such places “containment areas, not farms … I do not feel that this registry is an attack on the professional, long-standing farmer.”

Animals kept in poor conditions spread disease, he said, adding that an accounting of animals is nothing new. Years ago, town police began keeping a card catalog of farm animal locations aimed at helping deal with animal escapees. Such cases happen frequently, he said, noting one in which officers spent 12 hours trying to return an animal to its farm.

She likes the idea of a registry, said Suze Craig, in part because “should my lambs care to roam,” Detective Majewski would then easily know where to send them home, “wagging their tales behind them.”

As a small farmer, Ann Mcpherson said her initial reaction to a registry was that it came from the “loud voices” of people reacting to the tenant farm problems — “in my opinion the rural equivalent of a slumlord.”

Now, though, “I get it, I would certainly abide by it.”

I don’t understand why you haven’t taken the time to write an ordinance or something to get rid of tenant farms — people don’t need to rent out their land to strangers who are going to abuse animals. You are leaving us wide open to look like we don’t care when we really do.”

Opposing viewpoint

The lone audience member to speak against a registry was Agricultural Commission Chairman Raymond Raposa (his board recently rejected the idea by an 8-0 vote).

“When I hear an activist say I want to know what’s going on in their back yard, that’s not something I want to hear,” Mr. Raposa said. “There is a sense of privacy there … I am not in favor of a site registry (for which someone) wanting to find out where your chemicals are, manure storage, all of that — that’s not about the animals.” He instead urged the board to regulate the “plot farms.”

BOH member Mays said he was disappointed by the Agricultural Commission’s recent vote.

“I thought the Agricultural Commission would be a source of knowledge for us and that is what was upsetting about the 8-0 vote against, because we still need your help.”

Supporters of the registry continued to come to the microphone.

Fred Sperling, an infectious disease physician, said, “In the interest of common sense and decency, we are in support of this proposal.”

Voicing his concern about the spread of disease through animals, he said, “Since this is a Board of Health, it makes very good sense to keep a registry” of farm animals.

Establishing a registry “is an issue of transparency and accountability for the Board of Health,” said Tanya Riding. The BOH, she added, has the full authority and is better position to pursue a registry and to regulate tenant farms.

“There is a saying that people who have nothing to hide hide nothing,” said Barbara Pontolillo, who was among those to volunteer at the Medeiros Farm cruelty site. “People who were associated with the Medeiros farm had a lot to hide” — she said she favors a registry.

“If you don’t care about the animals you’ve got to care about what we are spending in this town” on responses to animal crises, said Jennifer Mello.

Chris Wiley said the Medeiros property was hardly “the only one in town that has a problem,” and she is seeking police records about “other farms in town that have issues. To say it’s only one farm — that’s inaccurate.”

Three members of the Board of Selectmen (past and present — Craig Dutra, Ann Boxler and Shana Shufelt)) spoke in favor.

“I strongly support the animal site registry,” said Ms. Shufelt, BOS chairwoman.

This is about the abuse of animals, she said, but “I urge you to adopt a BOH regulation because of the health impacts on our community.” There are obvious public health reasons to want to know where and how animals are kept.

“I recognize the black mark this has left on the town,” Mr. Dutra said of the American Legion Highway episodes. “Being proactive, trying to prevent these things from happening again and being able to correct and improve ways we treat animals” are vital, he said.

All of those speaking were Westport residents except the last, Cheryl Castonguay who said she works in town.

“You could take all of the animals that died a painful, horrible death (on the Medeiros property) and fill this whole building and still need more room. That’s the enormity of what happened. I don’t understand why this is even a debate at this point … It can’t happen again.”

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