Village of Menomonee Falls, WI Becomes Fifth City to Recognize Animal Guardianship

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MILL VALLEY, Calif. – On March 4, the Menomonee Falls, WI, Board of Trustees adopted an ordinance amending the village’s municipal code to refer to people as the “guardian” of their companion animals instead of as their “owner.” The action made the city the fifth in the nation to acknowledge the right of individuals to consider themselves the guardians of their companion animals.

Menomonee Falls joins Boulder, CO, West Hollywood and Berkeley, CA, Sherwood, AR, and the State of Rhode Island in passing this important legislation. Last July, Boulder became the first city to pass a measure to replace the word “owner” with the term “guardian” in their municipal ordinances. In February 2001, West Hollywood, CA, followed suit, overwhelmingly approving a proposal to change all references of “animal owners” to “animal guardians” in their municipal ordinances. Also in February 2001, Berkeley, CA, passed a measure recognizing guardianship in their ordinances. And in September 2001, the City Council of Sherwood, AR, voted unanimously to similarly amendment its municipal code.

Last spring, students from Feinstein High School in Rhode Island initiated their state's guardian legislation, working with their state representative, Betsy Dennigan. The bill passed the House easily, and in June 2001, the Senate approved the legislation. This landmark decision made Rhode Island the first state in the nation to include the term “guardian” in all companion animal-related state legislation.

IDA President, Elliot M. Katz, DVM, praised Menomonee Falls’ Board of Trustees, stating, “I am delighted that the Village of Menomonee Falls has joined the State of Rhode Island and five other cities in acknowledging the vital role of language in seeking social change. Because almost all animal abuse and exploitation stems from viewing animals as property, this is an important step in changing the consciousness of the American public regarding the animals with whom we share our lives.”

Chris Slinker, the Menomonee Falls Trustee who drafted the ordinance, also stated, “In Wisconsin, we’ve heard three or four horrible stories recently about people killing neighbors’ dogs or finding ways to poison them … if something like this ever happened in Menomonee Falls, I wanted those people to be able to say that they lost a friend, a companion animal, a family member – not just a piece of property.” Alan D. Eisenberg, candidate for Wisconsin Governor and the citizen responsible for initiating the legislation, added, “This new ordinance brings closer the day of recognition that companion animals are family.”