[Fwd: Wild West weekend turns mild]

[Guest guest]

Can you stand a little GOOD animal news for a change?

 

We should all be thinking about suing the rodeo folks over the calf

roping event.

 

Cheers,

Eric Mills, coordinator

ACTION FOR ANIMALS

 

-------

Wild West weekend turns mild

Sat, 18 Sep 2004 12:52:20 -0600

Marin Independent Journal by Email <afa

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*Wild West weekend turns mild

<http://www.marinij.com/Stories/0,1413,234%257E24407%257E2411051,00.html>*

 

*Con Garretson, IJ reporter*

 

 

*Saturday, September 18, 2004* - A junior rodeo that was to be held

tomorrow just outside Novato was canceled because the Marin Humane

Society refused to allow planned calf roping, organizers said.

 

Other factors, including the cost of insurance and time constraints,

also factored into the decision, but the disagreement over roping was

the primary reason, according to Aldo Gigliotti, a member and past

president of Novato Horseman's, Inc.

 

Conflicts over the use of animals also contributed to the cancellation

of an associated parade that was to be held this morning on Novato's

Grant Avenue, he said.

 

Both events were tied to Novato Horsemen's Western Weekend, a

long-dormant annual event that was being revived this year. All that

remains of the weekend is an evening of dinner, entertainment and

exhibitions at the nonprofit club's Bugeia Lane facilities that starts

at 5 p.m.

 

The plug was pulled on both events last month when Gigliotti said it

became clear the club would have conflicts getting necessary permits

that were never formally sought.

 

Gigliotti, who also is president of the Novato Chamber of Commerce, said

officials with the Marin Humane Society told him the club would not

receive a permit for calf-roping. He said roping is a traditional

western sport that he doesn't believe is subject to regulation, at least

in this case.

 

" This was for a nonprofit club, not as a money-raiser, at our place,

using animals that were not going to be paid for, " he said.

 

Traditional calf roping involves a horseback rider chasing a cow or

calf, throwing a rope lasso around the animal's neck and stopping them

in their tracks in as fast a time as possible. There also is a " rope and

release " version.

 

" I didn't feel we needed a permit and they contended we did, " Gigliotti

said. " They were OK with our initial plans but then when we brought up

roping, red flags got raised. It's unfortunate but that's the society we

live in. It's frustrating "

 

Gigliotti said he was told that roping runs afoul of a county animal

control ordinance applying to the " use of animals for exhibits. " The

Marin Humane Society is charged by the county with enforcing the

ordinance and issuing permits for such events.

 

The ordinance says that a permit can be denied if the agency can

" reasonably demonstrate ... that the denial (is) necessary to protect

the public health and safety or provide for the humane care and

treatment of any animals used or kept. "

 

Sheri Cardo, spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society, said her agency

interprets roping as a violation of the ordinance.

 

Cardo said her agency would review an applicant's plans, work out a plan

that would comply with the ordinance and attend an event to ensure it is

followed.

 

" We have high standards for animal care in Marin, " Cardo said.

 

She said she doubts her agency would issue a permit for some traditional

rodeo activities that Gigliotti said are planned for next year.

 

" For traditional roping, the chances are slim to none, " Cardo said. " For

rope and release, the likelihood is good. "

 

Jim Williams, a club member and veterinarian, said, " I don't know why

the Humane Society decided to get something that they didn't need to get

into. With most of these young kids they wouldn't have been able to

lasso a calf anyway. "

 

Gigliotti said the Marin Humane Society also made what he deemed

unreasonable requests for documentation about horses and other animals

that were going to be involved in the parade.

 

That played a factor in canceling the parade, Gigliotti said, as did

higher- than-expected permit costs that he said would have been charged

by the Novato Police Department. No parade permit was ever formally

sought, he said.

 

Gigliotti said Larry the acting police chief who recently left the

city, also shot down a proposal for a cattle drive on Grant Avenue,

something he said he hopes his successor would consider for next year's

planned event.

 

Contact Con Garretson via e-mail at cgarretson

<cgarretson

 

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