SUFFOLK
The city is overhauling its leash law after hearing complaints that the ordinance excludes dog owners in too many neighborhoods.
City Manager Selena Cuffee-Glenn said in a letter dated Oct. 19 that city staff was reviewing the ordinance. She was writing to respond to a complaint that the law did not cover several housing developments in the Chuckatuck area of North Suffolk.
"Suffolk Animal Control has received concerns such as yours, from other residents of the City," Cuffee-Glenn wrote to Bryant Baker.
Baker said Monday that Police Chief Thomas Bennett told him he was trying to get the ordinance expanded to cover the entire city.
Suffolk updated its leash law in 1999 to cover greater downtown, the villages of Chuckatuck, Holland and Whaleyville, and much of North Suffolk. People in those areas must keep their dogs on a leash unless they are using them for hunting, field competitions or training.
The "enforcement areas" omit large swaths of rural Suffolk and some newer housing developments. Baker noted in a letter to his councilman, Joe Barlow, that his subdivision and several others near Crittendon Road were exempt.
Baker began pushing for a citywide policy after a pit bull began roaming on and around his property in September, growling and running at him at times, he said. An animal control officer told him they couldn't do anything because the leash law did not cover his neighborhood, Baker said.
Cuffee-Glenn said in her letter that the City Council would have to approve any changes. Baker said he was told the matter would likely go to the council in December. Violations of the ordinance are a class 4 misdemeanor, which are punishable by fines of up to $250. Dogs in violation are subject to impoundment. Thirteen people were convicted of the charge in 2008, according to a database of court cases.
Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563, dave.forster@pilotonline.com
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To Lawrence
It's not okay to shoot any animal who comes on your property. There is an animal cruelty law, now. My neighbor's Beagle runs all over my property, but I don't have a problem because my dogs keep him over on his side, anyway. They also run off coyotes, bobcats, and human trespassers as well.
You people have no clue of the definition of city and rural and you must be jealous of anyone owning more than a quarter of an acre. One size doesn't fit all. The City needs to stop trying to push its draconian ways onto country people.
A leash law would effectively kill hunting with dogs, which is going on right now. Then again, from what I read on this forum, I doubt many of you are hunters, either, unless it's Lawrence, who would rather shoot dogs.
Fine!
However when your dogs or your very clean cats venture on to my property then it should be my right to shoot them or trap them. It has been my experience that most farm dogs that roam wildly throughout the countryside are not very friendly. I see them killed on the roads frequently. Cats just kill songbirds and other desirable wildlife. You should have to control where your animals go. That does not mean you have to fence in your entire property just a small plot to keep the dogs in comfortably.
Seeing as how I can not edit
Seeing as how I can not edit past comments, clarification is in order. My comment should not be taken literally, nor directed at anyone personally. While I do not agree with shooting cats and dogs, I agree with your post.
Seeing as how I can not edit
Seeing as how I can not edit past comments, clarification is in order. My comment should not be taken literally, nor directed at anyone personally. While I do not agree with shooting cats and dogs, I agree with your post.
Dear Caspar
Do you know what constitutes a city? It doesnt matter if you own 5000 acres, you are in the boundaries of the CITY of Suffolk. Your pets need to stay on your property just like the citizen that owns a small yard in downtown Suffolk. For the humanity issue you claim, a responsible pet owner should want his pets contained to a certain property so they dont get hit by a car or picked up by strangers.
In rural areas,
It Bull sqeeze! I also agree with the guy about the cats! What`s good for one is good for all!
Animal Control.............
............SEEMS to be over-whelmed as it is. I live in 'downtown' Suffolk. The 'stray cat' problem is out of control.
In the past 3 years I have either caught and turned over to Animal Control OR found home's for 11 cats. I am TRYING to do MY part as a concerned citizen. Hell, I have 6 'un-official' cats now that I feed daily..........not necessarily that I WANT too but that I wont intentionally cause harm to an animal. ( No, they have seen the 'trap/cage' tooo many times to fall for it )
My greater concern is my Neighbor who has a Pit-Bull right in the middle of town on a block with LOTS of children and they DONT take care of it ! Their idea of 'feeding' the dog? Give it a bag of household TRASH and let it rummage thru it and eat the table scraps. I kid you not !
Oh ! As to 'off the leash' ? We dont have to worry about that in this case............they NEVER let it off the chain.
It's easy to spot the house............just stop at the one with allllllllllllll the trash and garbage in front !
Leash Law to Cover the Entire City?
Does the police chief know what constitutes a city? He needs to rethink his position to exempt rural farm land. Those of us who own 20 or more acres of rural farm land do not live in the city and should therefore be exempt from a leash law. My dogs have been allowed to roam for years. It's their land. Sure they stray onto private property, but that property is also rural farm land and woods. So now must we rural dwellers be forced to tie up our dogs? This is an act that has also been deemed cruel by PETA and/or animal control, so what must we do? Must I now fence in all my land, or will the city reimburse me for my problems, since it is they who seem to think that rural farm land is the same as city land?
I also have cats as well, who have been allowed to roam all over my land, and contrary to one poster, they are not flea bags. They pick off their fleas and are very clean, unlike some people I have been around.
Add cats to the leash law
All cats should be on a leash. Cat owners allow their flea bags to run into other peoples property. Put them on a leash or keep them on your own property.
great idea!
I couldn't agree more.
I always keep my kitties
I always keep my kitties inside where they are safe :)