Hey, Acton, Mass., Have you seen Bridgett?
When Pat Panek’s six-year-old Siberian Husky disappeared in November, she did what most of us would do — made some posters.
But when she put them up on the streets of Acton, Mass., she says, city officials told her she couldn’t do that, and even took them down.
She says the city told her the signs violated its laws.
“It makes me really angry and I don’t understand it,” Panek told WBZ News. ”Frankly, I just can’t wrap my brain around it.”
Panek is pursuing other routes — passing out brochures and maintaining a Facebook page about her lost dog, but Bridgett, despite 30 reported sightings, still hasn’t been found.
Mike Gowing, the Chairman of the Acton Board of Selectmen, says the town’s laws pertaining to signage — intended to keep the town from being overrun with signs and losing its “historic feel” — are confusing, and in the process of being rewritten.
How long lost dog signs should be allowed to stay up is one of the matters to be addressed.
“If you’ve lost your dog, how long is it that you should have the ability to put up signs that say, ‘Where’s my dog’? When do you call that?” he asked. In the case of Bridgett, he added, sounding something less than sensitive, “…It was over the winter, this dog’s either been taken in by somebody, or it’s gone.”
The director of Acton’s Planning Department, which enforces the towns signage laws, said Panek was never ordered to take down a sign, only informed that she was responsible for eventually taking them down.
Posted by jwoestendiek March 16th, 2012 under Muttsblog.
Tags: acton, animals, bridgett, dog, dogs, finding, laws, littleton, lost, lost dog, massachusetts, missing, pat panek, pets, posters, posting, search, siberian husky, signage, signs, town
Comments
Comment from Steve Stein
Time March 16, 2012 at 12:47 pm
For reference, the Acton sign by-laws comprise section 7 of the Zoning by-laws, which can be found here (warning, pdf): http://www.acton-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/659
My legalese is weak, but I can’t find anything specific to “lost dog” (or “lost child” or “lost x”) signs, which might mean that they’re prohibited altogether. Such signs are fairly common around town, though they typically are taken down within a week.
In general, I’m in favor of the Acton sign laws – they do help preserve a low-key character and a “tidier” look to the town. The Bridgett signs have been a success, especially because of the FB group reference. And this publicity can’t hurt!
Comment from Steve Stein
Time March 16, 2012 at 10:30 am
You can put up signs like this in Acton; you just have to take them down after some period of time. Had one of these on the telephone pole outside my house, and joined the FB group. Bridgett supposedly has been spotted close to my house, but I haven’t seen her.