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Loading...New Mexico Dog, Blue, Exempt from Leash Law
The story of Blue the dog, who hails from Elephant Butte, New Mexico, has ended in a compromise. Blue is an 11-year-old blue-eyed Australian cattle dog who was abandoned as a puppy at Casa Taco, years before Elephant Butte even became a town.
The restaurant’s owner cared for Blue until his death four years ago. Having always lived a free-range lifestyle, at that point Blue found his way to the Butte General Store and Marine, where he likes to spend his time. Several attempts had been made for adoption but Blue prefers the lifestyle he has always known and did not do well in the adoptive homes.
Store owners Janice Connor and Bob Owen took over the unofficial guardianship role for Blue. Blue even has a bank account with a balance of about $1,800, his own Facebook page and a pro-bono attorney from Albuquerque, Hilary Noskin. Townspeople have been generous with donations and have built Blue a heated and air conditioned dog house that he enjoys. “Everybody just loves this dog,” Conner said. “People who can’t afford a dog bring their kids here to play with Blue. … He is the only dog I know who got four plates of Thanksgiving dinner at his dog house,” quotes the Albuquerque Journal.
About two years ago, a local woman made a complaint about Blue, saying he was threatening her when she walked her dogs. Elephant Butte has leash laws and Connor and Owen were told if they had Blue neutered, they would have no further problems about Blue.
That sufficed for about 18 months when Elephant Butte enacted stricter requirements for dogs considered vicious, including a $100,000 liability insurance policy. This was in response to an event in the nearby town of Truth and Consequences where a woman had been mauled by pit bulls.
In February of this year, Owen received a fine for not keeping Blue on a leash. He contested the fine and was given seven months to come up with a resolution. A hearing was set for August 9. Owen applied for a variance to the leash law which resulted in the City Council meeting that took place on June 13, 2012.
Many of the 1,431 town members attended the city council meeting to advocate for Blue. The chambers were filled and people overflowed into the nearby court room. Some even listened to the proceedings on the parking lot loudspeaker. Testimony lasted about an hour and included suggestions such as making Blue the town mascot, giving him special protections from town laws.
Mayor Eunice Kent ended the meeting when she announced the compromise. Owen and Conner agreed to install an electric fence around the General Store property — which includes a gas station and boat repair shop — so Blue can continue to live a leash-free existence within those confines.
No news on whether Blue’s bank account will be tapped for the fence expense or if a fundraiser will be set. People from Elephant Butte have generously donated change at the General Store for Blue’s food and healthcare expenses. Donations also come from other sources.
View a slideshow of Blue and his domain at Butte General Store and Marine from The New York Times. The photos tell their own story, don’t they?
What do you think? Is this the best outcome for Blue?
Related Stories:
The Call of the Wild: Is It Better for Dogs to Live Inside or Roam?
The True Meaning of Free Range: The Olde Windmill Trail Farm Animal Sanctuary
Read more: animal rights, animal welfare, animals, australian cattle dog, Blue the dog, Bluedog, bob owen, butte general store and marine, elephant butte, free-range dogs, janice connor, leash laws, new mexico
Photo of Blue from his Facebook page
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Recent Comments from Causes
smart man... his words can only help. Thanks for the post.
Bless the both...
SO TERRIBLY WRONG.
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112 comments
+ add your owna good community that cares for a cute and good dog. love it. he leads quite a good life. this made me smile.
Freedom for Blue...Put politicians behind the electric fence.
For the safety of the citizens, ANYBODY who works in government, whether it's state, local or federal, must be assumed stupid and evil until proven otherwise.
It's very touching that the townspeople came to Blue's defense.
lovely story thank you - not sure fence needs to be electric though - what is wrong with normal fence?
Glad to see the town getting behind "Blue".
Throw the"lady" and her dogs out of town, she is not a lady.
After reading about Blue the story of Hachi came to mind and would be an excellent movie for the town of Elephant Butte to show its citizens some evening.
The nice thing about small towns is that they can be charming and have local flavor.
People still can be neighbors, share a community and basically work out their differences and get along. These are all things that are getting lost as places grow and become more impersonal and over regulated.
When you are the one moving into a new community, it is up to you to find your place and how you fit in, not the other way around.
If any one needs to set up an electric fence around their property, it would be the woman who is complaining. If she doesn't like going by where Blue lives, then she is free to stay clear of him or free to go elsewhere.
Thank you
Most people want to care for Blue thank goodness, not right to shock him.
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