CHARLESTON ADDS MORE BITE TO CITYS DOG ORDINANCE By CLAY McFERRIN Sun-Sentinel Editor Charleston officials plan to step up enforcement of the city’s animal control ordinance, particularly the prohibition against dogs roaming freely in the city, Mayor Sedrick Smith said Monday. Violations can lead to owners being cited and fined in city court and dogs being impounded and euthanized. “It came up at a board meeting last week,” said Smith. “I’ve noticed myself, and there have been continuous calls raising a red flag, that we should be doing a little bit more than what we have been. It’s something we want to push and get a control on.” City leaders discussed the growing number of public animal-related complaints, most involving dogs, during an Oct. 23 called meeting of the Board of Commissioners. Although no formal vote was taken, there was general consensus that a renewed emphasis should be placed on enforcing provisions of the 2007 animal ordinance that govern dogs running at large within the city’s corporate limits. “All over town, we’re having dogs that are running loose, sometimes running in packs,” the mayor explained. Although Smith said there have been no recent reports of dog attacks on humans in the city, he noted that some people feel threatened when they encounter unrestrained canines. “We have people who walk for exercise and they are crossing paths with loose dogs,” he said. Sometimes, the dogs bark at or otherwise intimidate pedestrians. There also have been reports of dogs attacking and killing other animals, including cats, in the city. In addition, some residents have complained about free-roaming dogs destroying flowers and other memorials placed at graves in Charleston City Cemetery. The cemetery is located just outside the city limits, where the ordinance cannot be enforced, but at least some of the culprits are said to be coming from residences within the city. In the interest of both the public’s safety and welfare, Smith said officials finally decided they “had to get this dog issue under control.” City police officer Michael Suggs and street department worker George Hicks have been designated as primary animal control officers — dog catchers — for Charleston, said City Clerk Diane Stanford. She noted that Suggs and Hicks will be responsible for responding to reports of loose or nuisance dogs in the city and the mayor will closely monitor their efforts. Stanford said the city uses either an extended animal control pole with a noose or a tranquilizer gun to capture dogs, depending on the animal’s temperament or perceived risk to its captors. Unrestrained or nuisance dogs may be picked up and impounded at temporary holding pens located on the grounds of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Because the city does not have facilities for proper long-term housing, Stanford said impounded animals that do not have a collar with identification and go unclaimed after five days are euthanized by a local veterinarian. “It costs the city $15 every time one has to be put down,” she explained. Stanford suggested that any dog owner whose animal comes up missing contact Charleston City Hall at 647-5841 to learn whether it has been picked up by the city. If an owner finds that his dog or other animal has been impounded by the city, he may reclaim it by paying a $20 fee, plus $5 for each day of impoundment. Violations of the city’s animal control ordinance are considered misdemeanors, and animal owners may be punished with a general fine of from $25 to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. In instances of animals that inflict injury or harm, other civil and/or criminal penalties also may apply. “We want to make people aware that we do have this animal ordinance and that we are going to enforce it,” said Smith, who noted that even dogs with collars and proper rabies vaccination tags that are found running loose may be impounded by the city under this new effort. Smith said the stepped-up enforcement would begin within one week after publication of this story.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 14:46:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015