Huber Ridge Area

I would like to know who is be contacted about owners who let their dogs out without leashes.Blendon comes out but they are limited on what they can do.this family has been warned previously and continue to let this dog outside their property line without supervision and no leash.

I did a Google search and came up with the Franklin County Ordinance for Animal Control that was posted on the SPCA website.  http://www.spcafc.org/files/ANIMAL%20CONTROL%20ORDINANCE%20rev%203.pdf 

In this document it says:

Section 1-7 – Animals At-Large and Wandering Stray

A. It shall be unlawful for the owner of an animal to permit such animal to be wandering stray and to be at-large. The Animal Control Director may confiscate any animal found to be wandering stray and to be at-large and impound such animal at a County Animal Shelter in accordance with the provisions of article III or section 2-5 of article II.

B. The owner of an animal may lawfully permit such animal, unless such animal is a dangerous animal, to be at-large in the course of a show, obedience school, tracking test, field training, or other event sanctioned or supervised by an organization approved by the Animal Control Director. This provision does not exempt an owner from otherwise complying with section 2-3 or any other provision of this ordinance.

C. The owner of an animal who permits such animal to be wandering stray and to be at-large must pay a civil penalty of: 1 0

1. First Violation – $0.00 plus boarding fee

2. Second Violation – $25.00 plus boarding fee

3. Third Violation – $50.00 plus boarding fee

4. Fourth Violation – the animal becomes the property of the Animal Control Director for adoption or humane destruction.

D. The boarding fee shall be set each year in the Budget Ordinance and may be subject to change each year by action of the Board of Commissioners.

E. Successive violations depend on a particular owner, not on a particular animal. By way of illustration, assume owner X permits dog A to be wandering stray and to be at-large. Owner X will be issued a citation for a first violation. Later, owner X permits dog B to be wandering stray and to be at-large. Owner X will be issued a citation for a second violation.

F. Said penalty must be paid within (3) three days of the issuance of a citation for violation of this section.

=======================================

Phone number for Animal Control is 525-4361, the catch here is during business hours which are:  Monday-Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm. 

Unless I'm way off base, the way this ordinance seems to read, Animal Control can only confiscate an animal "found to be wandering stray and to be at-large" which would suggest that the Animal Control officer must witness that the animal is wandering stray or at-large".  Of course, not being an Animal Control employee, I don't know if this interpretation is correct so you might want to give them a call.....when they are open.

Hope this information is helpful.

Carolyn Cordray