Crackdown on unleashed dogs in Riverside
Just a quick word of warning for those who take their dogs to Riverside Park in South Baltimore.
Police and animal control officers were at the park today, prepared to dispense some of the city’s new $1,000 citations for violation of the leash law, according to our sources.
The same newly increased penalty applies to owners who fail to pick up their dog’s waste.
Crackdowns usually take place when the weather gets nice, and, thanks to the city council, they now carry a much higher price tag. So, no matter which city park you and your dog visit, watch your step — in every meaning of the phrase.
Posted by jwoestendiek April 4th, 2009 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animal control, baltimore, citations, city council, crackdown, dogs, leash law, one thousand dollars, parks, police, riverside park, south baltimore, tickets, unleashed, violations
Comments
Comment from brazentails
Time April 6, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Can’t we all rally together and be French for a day? The $1000 fine is a radically exploitative action to all responsible tax paying dog owners who believe in (if their dog is well behaved) letting dogs be dogs. Charging $1000 for not picking up poop? Sure! Charge everyone who litters in the city $1000. That should help city revenue. Maybe that money could get the Locust Point dog park up and running.
Comment from JillyBean
Time April 7, 2009 at 11:46 am
The explanation for the excessive fines is that the city is scrambling for ways to raise money. If this were truly about public safety, Mr. Reisinger would be akin to the Pied Piper of Federal Hill, making appearances at all of our neighborhood association meetings, telling us how much he was looking out for our best interest. Instead, the unpuplished hearing and the lack of public notification regarding the new laws speak volumes to me about what his true intentions are. There is money to be had between our borders of Key Hwy and the CSX rail tracks. I’d be surprised to hear that the animal control officers spend as much time in West or North Baltimore as I’m sure they will in Federal Hill, Riverside and Locust Point, not to mention Mt. Vernon and Canton. If he were to lobby for and get us a licensed dog park for responsible owners, how would he be generating any additional revenue for the city??? Any given day of the week, the city stands to make between $20,000 and $30,000 per day if they begin enforcing these fines – and that’s just at Riverside Park. I’ve heard that the reason Riverside Park can’t/won’t have a dog park is that it would compromise the “historic” nature of the park. (I have a sneaking suspicion that back in 1850, there most likely wasn’t a public pool sitting in the middle of the park.) Give us a legal, fenced in area for our dogs, and charge offenders outside of that area whatever you’d like. Perhaps another alternative could be off leash laws before 7am and after 7pm. I’m not hopeful that either of those are viable options, however as it could limit what the city might be able to reap from us…
Comment from dizzy
Time April 5, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I think Riverside Park dog owners deserve an explanation for the new fine levels, and the enforcement efforts. How can we get Councilman Reisinger to meet with us at the park one evening to explain his support of the fines and enforcement tactics?