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The combination of a stray animal problem that continues to get worse and a city ordinance that is too vague to effectively deal with the issue has caused headaches for Arma City Administrator Tim Schook.
The first part of the problem is simply that too many Arma residents let their pets run free throughout the city. In 2008, Arma police received about 310 calls from concerned citizens reporting dogs running loose in the city.
“Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve had a problem with that — people letting their dogs run loose,” he said.
Compounding the issue for too long has been the wording of the city’s ordinance regarding stray animals, particularly when it comes to how to prosecute pet owners who don’t keep tight enough reins on their animals. The current ordinance, Schook said, does not clearly explain when or how much pet owners should be fined.
“There are supposed to be financial charges for impoundment,” he said. “But there are different fees in there and people get confused and it becomes impossible to enforce. We don’t know how to fine these people or what to charge them with.
“My goal is to straighten that up.”
The combination of a stray animal problem that continues to get worse and a city ordinance that is too vague to effectively deal with the issue has caused headaches for Arma City Administrator Tim Schook.
The first part of the problem is simply that too many Arma residents let their pets run free throughout the city. In 2008, Arma police received about 310 calls from concerned citizens reporting dogs running loose in the city.
“Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve had a problem with that — people letting their dogs run loose,” he said.
Compounding the issue for too long has been the wording of the city’s ordinance regarding stray animals, particularly when it comes to how to prosecute pet owners who don’t keep tight enough reins on their animals. The current ordinance, Schook said, does not clearly explain when or how much pet owners should be fined.
“There are supposed to be financial charges for impoundment,” he said. “But there are different fees in there and people get confused and it becomes impossible to enforce. We don’t know how to fine these people or what to charge them with.
“My goal is to straighten that up.”
