3 dog limit now in effect in Fayetteville N.C.
A three dog per homeowner limit went into effect this week in Fayetteville, N.C. — a city that seems to just keep getting more heavy-handed when it comes to dogs.
Effective Sunday, in the city that recently sent hired hands to round up strays, dead or alive, homeowners in single family residences are allowed to legally keep three dogs; while apartment renters are limited to two.
And in an effort to crack down on the thousands of local residents who don’t register their dogs, the city has also worked out an arrangement with veterinarians, authorizing them to issue city licenses when pet owners bring their dogs in for vaccinations. That takes effect Jan. 1.
The measures are designed to make the rules in Fayetteville the same as they are in surrounding Cumberland County, the Fayetteville Observer reports.
Dr. John Lauby, director of Cumberland County Animal Control, which also handles animal control for the city, said his department doesn’t plan to go door to door counting dogs, but it will respond to complaints from citizens about residents harboring too many dogs.
There are no cats limits in Fayetteville, or Cumberland County.
Officials hope the more stringent rules will cut down on complaints involving barking and loose dogs, as well as unsanitary yards where dogs are kept.
Fayetteville residents who previously had more than three dogs can keep them, assuming they are up to date on on the pet fees they pay on their property tax bills.
The county has about 39,000 licensed dogs and cats and, it estimates, about 30,000 non-registered ones.
The county is sending letters to those scofflaws, he said.
“We want to be proactive in preventing the spread of rabies from the wild animal population to humans,” he said.
The license fee is $7 per dog or cat if it has been spayed or neutered; $25 if not.
Those discovered illegally harboring more than the allowable number of pets will be fined $100 for a first offense and given a “reasonable amount of time” to find new homes for the excess dogs.
Posted by jwoestendiek July 3rd, 2012 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animal control, animals, apartments, complaints, cumberland county, dog, dog limit, dog limits, dogs, enforcement, fayetteville, fines, household, john lauby, licenses, licensing, limit, limits, north carolina, number, pets, registered, registration, roundup, strays, three dogs, two dogs
Comments
Comment from KateH
Time July 3, 2012 at 4:38 pm
If problems exist with barking, loose dogs, and unsanitary conditions, why isn’t the answer to do something about those specific problems – like tickets and fines after investigations of the complaints? If someone has only one dog and a complaint is made about the owner letting it bark, run loose, or the owner having an unsanitary yard, will it get through city official’s heads that it’s not the number of animals, but rather how they are being cared for, and that one dog not being cared for properly is wrong, while seven dogs that are cared for properly is perfectly fine!
Arbitrary numbers are stupid. Enforce laws concerning problems with animals, and it will be better than making neighbors and veterinarians into narcs for a city that seems too lazy and incompetent to think and do what’s best.
Comment from Kathy G
Time July 3, 2012 at 6:36 pm
Agree with KateH – so if the scofflaws don’t pay their property taxes – do they have to give up any dogs over 2 (and how would you choose) – even if they were grandfathered in? So silly. Why not go after the problems instead of arbitrary blanket regulations?
Comment from selkie
Time July 3, 2012 at 12:06 pm
in my Toronto neighbourhood, we are limited to 6 animals in total (a combination of cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits) with a maximum of THREE dogs. But unless there are tons of complaints, most people don’t care.