MASTER STROKE FOR DOGS, CATS.

Byline: Joseph Giordono Staff Writer

WEST HOLLYWOOD - Until Tuesday night, West Hollywood residents owned their dogs and cats. Now, the animals are on a little more equal footing.

Saying the move recognizes the rights of animals, the West Hollywood City Council on Tuesday voted to change all references in city ordinances from ``pet owner'' to ``pet guardian.''

``People in West Hollywood love their animals and take great care of them,'' said Bonnie Saher, who owns the Animal Farm pet store on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. ``If changing the word makes a difference to them, then great.''

West Hollywood becomes the first municipality in California to decide that people don't own pets, they just watch over them, joining Boulder, Colo., as the only other city in the nation to officially codify the change.

It's the latest ordinance from a city well-known for being in the vanguard of liberal causes, from gay rights to condom distribution to animal cruelty laws.

``As an attorney, it always makes me a little nervous when you make changes like this, but this is more of an educational tool than anything,'' said Councilman Steve Martin, who himself owns, er, is the guardian of four cats.

``We have a large population of seniors and gays and lesbians for whom pets are surrogate companions and family members. They are not just property.''

City staffers say the action was carefully crafted so as not to change the legal status of animals as property but solely to ``influence the public for the positive treatment of animals.''

The San Francisco Animal Welfare and Control Commission adopted similar legislation last year, but the effort stalled at the county supervisor level.

``Even then, we have seen a difference in the way that people use the language,'' said Commissioner Richard Schulke.

``It may not have been adopted by the supervisors, but we're hearing people using 'guardian' in meetings and in documents, so it has had some effect.''

Changing the designation from ``owner'' to ``guardian,'' West Hollywood supporters say, denotes a higher level of responsibility for other living creatures and is in the best interest of the pets.

``A lot of the issues of animal abuse come from the way we think about animals,'' West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang said. ``Although legally they may be chattel, they are living beings.''

``Over time, the way we talk about things and characterize them changes our perceptions. It begins to show a different level of respect and understanding.''

Prang noted that the city has been at the forefront of animal rights issues, saying programs like Pets Are Wonderful Support, or PAWS/LA, have been widely supported.

The PAWS/LA program provides services to help invalids and terminally ill residents care for their animals.

Some animal lovers in West Hollywood say they support the effort.

``A lot of people here have been working with animals and on animal welfare issues, but I never thought the City Council would actually go through with this amendment,'' said Christina Babst, who first brought the matter to city officials after reading about Boulder's measure.

``This is a way to educate people that animals are individuals with interests and personalities of their own.''

But not everyone believes the measure is appropriate.

``It is the first step toward banning domestic animals,'' said Wayne Cavanaugh, president of the Michigan-based United Kennel Club.

The UKC had previously fought similar measures in San Francisco and Boulder, saying the ``symbolic'' changes were the first move down a slippery slope that could only end in the abolition of keeping animals as pets.

Cavanaugh notes that under Michigan law, for example, a guardian may not consent to the sterilization of a ward. While a dog ``owner'' can spay or neuter their pet, he says, a dog ``guardian'' would be required to respect the reproductive rights of his ``ward.''

West Hollywood leaders say they have no intention of going that far.

``You can take this thing off into so many tangents - do you say dairy farmer or dairy guardian?'' said Councilman Martin. ``But this is an urban area, and we don't have people with livestock. We are essentially sending a message that with ownership comes responsibility.''

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Photo:

(color) Max, whose West Hollywood owner is now his guardian under a just-passed city ordinance, is groomed by Bonnie Saher at the Animal Farm pet shop.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer