Paramount Ordinance to Prohibit Killing Domestic Animals for Food

Reacting to a recent court case that cleared two men in the killing of a dog for food, the City Council has given tentative approval to an ordinance prohibiting the butchering of dogs and cats for eating.

The council voted 4 to 0 for passage. A violation of the ordinance would be a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and six months in jail.

The council was reacting to a Long Beach case in March in which a judge dismissed charges against two Cambodian refugees accused of cruelty to animals for killing a German shepherd puppy for food.

The judge ruled that killing an animal for food is not illegal unless it is done in a cruel way.

“We never had a problem with it but we wanted to get ahead of any potential problem,” said Patrick West, Paramount deputy city manager.

The city’s animal regulations prohibit the slaughter of large domestic animals, except at certain places such as veterinarians’ offices, research laboratories and schools.

In another related action, the City Council rejected a proposed ordinance to change the impound period for dogs and cats.

Currently, stray dogs and cats unclaimed by owners are kept for seven days before they are destroyed. The proposed ordinance would have doubled the impound time to 14 days.

Councilwoman Esther Caldwell proposed the ordinance, but it was defeated when her motion failed to get a second.

The city contracts with the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey for $120,000 a year. It would have cost an additional $32,000 to impound animals for an extra seven days.