City councillors will hold a public hearing on June 22 to discuss and potentially increase fees associated with dog ownership.
Monday night the council voted to bring the changes in the dog ordinance to a public hearing. As part of the regulations dogs must be leashed and owners must pick up and dispose of feces. Dogs are not to be on school or cemetery property. The owner must be in control of the dog. Dogs are to be muzzled if they have bitten a person or an animal or chased anyone in a public place.
Dogs over six months old must be licensed.
“This is long overdue,†said Council President John Powers. “People in this city don’t take licenses seriously.â€
Along with the wording changes in the ordinance, fees increases are proposed. Fines for violating the regulations range from $50 to $300. Licenses are $10 for every spayed or neutered dog, $25 for intact dogs. There is no charged for service dogs. Kennel license fees are $40 for four dogs or less, $80 for five to 10 dogs, $150 for 11 dogs or more, but not more than 25. The fee is $250 for kennels with more than 26 dogs.
        The regulations also cover non-domesticated animals are those considered ferocious or in its original state could be considered wild, with the exception dogs, cats, canaries, parrots, parakeets, hamsters, white mice or white rats. You may not keep chickens, duck, geese, poultry or fowl of any kind.
The city is hoping for a land acquisition in the Ward 6 area to create a dog park.
“Hopefully we’ll get one,†said Ward 6 Councillor Charles Patch.
Sue Ellen Woodcock can be reached at [email protected]
