State Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, is preparing to reintroduce legislation that would end the logistical nightmare for owners of lost pets in Pittsburgh trying to recover their animals.
Currently, someone in Allegheny County who is missing a dog or cat has to deal with each of the three animal shelters and eight animal control organizations to see if the pet has been taken in. The process makes it difficult for an owner to call or visit all 11 entities within 48 hours—the current minimum time a stray animal has to be held before being euthanized.
Readshaw’s proposal would raise the minimum holding time to 76 hours and require all the animal control and shelter groups to post photos and basic information about found animals, such as weight, color, identifying marks, and date and location where the animal was picked up.
As an incentive to animal protection groups, they would be paid $15 for every pet reunited with its owner—$5 more than they are currently paid by the state for a euthanasia procedure.
Readshaw’s bill has the unofficial designation of “Buster’s Bill.” Buster is a mixed-breed that Readshaw found, turned over to an animal shelter, and then adopted to prevent it from being put down. Buster has earned his keep in the Readshaw house as the supposed writer of a column Readshaw includes in every constituent newsletter. The articles include humor—often directed at Readshaw—and a serious message. The topics have dealt with such subjects as how to help an outdoor pet deal with frigid temperatures, caring for an older pet, choosing a responsible babysitter, and how a seatbelt saved Readshaw from severe injury or death in an accident last year.
“A lot of people tell me that when they get my newsletter, the first thing they go to is Buster’s column on the back page,” Readshaw said. “I always get asked how Buster is doing. He even gets Christmas cards.”
Readshaw said it would be the highlight of Buster’s dog-gone writing career for his name to be used to help fellow strays reunite with their owners or be adopted.
The legislation resulted from a request by Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein for Readshaw to tackle the dilemma.
The first version of the proposal, introduced in the 2003–04 legislative session, did not make it out of committee for a floor vote.