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riental’s Town Board Tuesday night approved changes to the town’s ordinance on animal control. It did not pass the stricter proposal initially put forward by Commissioner Kathy Kellam. That proposal would have required that all dogs be leashed.

Commissioner Kellam said Tuesday night that the town had received 50 pieces of correspondence on the issue and that it ran 50-50. One half, she said, wanted the leash law. The other half did not, she said, but of that group, about 2/3rds supported changing the ordinance to more precisely deal with dangerous dogs.

Lacking apparent support from other board members for the leash law, Commissioner Kellam Tuesday night offered a substitute proposal.

It was similar to one put forward late last week by Dee Sage, who had suggested that instead of making it illegal for any dogs to run free, the existing ordinance should more clearly address what to do about dangerous dogs. As reported here, Sage’s proposal spelled out the steps that people could take to have a dog declared a nuisance or dangerous. (Once so declared, nuisance or dangerous dogs would not be allowed to run free.)

Commissioner Kellam’s proposal Tuesday night included that provision and then added a section that addressed more precisely the matter of dog waste, and its retrieval.

It reads:

It shall be unlawful for any owner to permit his dog or cat to habitually deposit feces on public property, Town right-of-way, or private property without permission of the property owner, unless the pet owner promptly removes the deposit.

The Town Board was approving motions to pass Commissioner Kellam’s latest proposal, when resident Jennifer Roe raised her hand and asked if she could address, “the poop issue.” She asked what was meant by “promptly,” particularly in circumstances where, as she put it, “a dog happens to be pooping and the person’s not there at that moment.” Roe told the board that while she let her dog, Bert run free, she also routinely picked up any dog waste on the streetsides and lots near her house.

It emerged in the discussion that what was meant by the new stipulation was that if someone complained about a dog leaving waste in their yard, they could call the Town or police who would then notify the dog’s owner. If the owner took care of removing the waste, the situation would be considered resolved.

Elsewhere in the changed ordinance, it states that if a pet is found to engage in “public nuisance behavior” (chasing vehicles or humans, digging up other people’s property) more than 4 times in a month, it would be considered a habitual nuisance. That could mean a $20 fine for the owner and no more roaming free for the pet.

The newly revamped ordinance on animal control can be read in its entirety by clicking here and downloading the pdf.

Commissioner Kellam said that Town Hall had drafted an “Animal Complaint Form.”

The Town Board also discussed seeking $2,000 in grant money to purchase more “dog stations”, boxes on a post which provide small plastic bags with which to pick up pet waste. The cost was estimated to be $150 apiece. There are several around town currently.

Posted Wednesday June 4, 2008 by Melinda Penkava

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