The well being board additional mentioned an ongoing concern involving a vicious canine throughout the metropolis in its assembly Wednesday.
The matter, which the board had beforehand mentioned intimately in its August assembly, has escalated to the purpose of additional authorized motion, and even potential modifications to a metropolis ordinance. At that point the canine in query had already been discovered operating unfastened greater than 4 instances, and the proprietor had been charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor in relation to the case, and twice been cited for canine at giant.
Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey stated that the canine had been seen unfastened once more the night time prior, and on the time of the assembly remained at giant. Dickey additionally stated that there was at present an energetic warrant for the arrest of the proprietor.
“If they find it, they are taking it, and they are arresting (the owner), but they can’t find either one,” stated Dickey.
Dickey additionally stated that the proprietor was due in court docket in relation to the difficulty the subsequent day, the third such court docket date for the continuing matter; nonetheless, Hughes famous that the proprietor had already failed to seem for each prior court docket dates. Dickey stated that because of this, a bench warrant for the proprietor’s arrest had been issued; nonetheless, the police division had been unaware of the warrant the final time officers had been on the proprietor’s residence.
“The courts have a bench warrant out for her arrest, and we got it yesterday afternoon, but it was either after they went out to try to get the dog and her again, or they didn’t know there was a warrant, one or the other, because it was issued on the Sept. 18, we received it sometime yesterday, and she’s not there to arrest today,” stated Dickey.
Dickey additionally stated that the canine had just lately entered one other resident’s property and killed their cat, prompting metropolis council to take steps to update town’s animal ordinance. Dickey defined that the ordinance’s present language particularly covers attacking one other canine, so there was little authorized recourse for officers to absorb response to the homicide of the cat.
“Council is trying to change that ordinance to say companion animals, ‘if a dog kills or injures a companion animal,’ because right now it says dog, so when it killed someone’s cat, which this one we’re talking about went into somebody’s garage and actually destroyed their cat, they couldn’t do anything about it because it says dog,” stated Dickey.
Dickey additional defined that whereas the language throughout the ordinance mirrored related state ordinance, she had authored the ordinance throughout her time as a part of metropolis council, and that she took duty for the oversight.
“That’s my fault because I wrote that ordinance, and it was reflective of what the state’s said, which is dog, so I never thought about cats, but now it will be fixed, and I take the blame,” stated Dickey.
The Rules and Ordinances Committee will likely be assembly to debate the potential change in language at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 previous to metropolis council’s subsequent assembly.
The well being board will meet subsequent at 2 p.m. Oct. 18.
