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Strays, unlicensed dogs called evidence of laxity in Lewiston kennel law
By Leah L. Culler
LEWISTON -- The town's dog ordinance, which requires any household with more than two dogs to have a kennel license, is not being effectively enforced, says City Council member Ronda Morrison. Morrison said the ordinance should be carried through or dropped. "I'm like that with any ordinance," she said. "If we don't have the money or the time, why have the ordinance?" Morrison said the many complaints about stray dogs, as well as the large number of non-licensed dogs in Lewiston, show that the ordinance isn't being implemented. The ordinance was set up to improve responsibility for dogs in Lewiston. If owners are required to have a kennel license for more dogs, they are more likely to either limit the number of dogs they own, or assume responsibility for their dogs, she said. Some households have more than two dogs, Morrison said. She added that many of the dogs in Lewiston are not even licensed, despite the licensing requirement. According to animal control officer Alan Smith, all dogs over 6 months of age are required to have a license and must be vaccinated for rabies in order to obtain one. Smith estimates about 50 percent of all dogs in Lewiston are not licensed. "We have a day set aside once a year for a clinic," Smith said. "People can come and get their dogs' rabies shots and licenses." Smith said the kennel ordinance is being enforced, but that it is difficult to determine how many dogs an individual owns, especially if the dogs are not all licensed. He said there are currently no kennel licenses within Lewiston. Dogs are picked up by animal control officers on a complaint-only basis. Smith said he doesn't do rounds or patrolling on a regular basis because man power doesn't allow for it. "If there are dogs running loose and someone calls or we see strays, we pick them up," Smith said. "I've started doing patrolling randomly, more in the nighttime hours. That's when people come home and set their animals loose." If a dog is picked up and does not have a license, the impound fee for the owner is $25 on the first offense. The fee for a second offense is $50, the third is $100 and the fourth time an animal is impounded it is euthanized. All strays are held for 72 hours and are euthanized if not claimed. "We do have some dogs adopted," he said. "But most of the adopted dogs are from out- of-towners." Despite efforts to minimize the number of strays within Lewiston, Morrison said stray dogs within Lewiston are a problem and need to be taken care of. "The kennel license ordinance has not solved the problem, so something
else needs to be done," she said. |
Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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