Friday, January 4, 2013

Columbia seeks volunteers to adopt dogs to avoid euthanasia

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/799635_Columbia-seeks-volunteers-to-adopt-dogs-to-avoid-euthanasia.html

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was under the impression (from someone that sits on council), that almost ALL of the stray dogs in Columbia Borough are reunited with their owners within hours. Anyway, that's what I was told.

Anonymous said...

I see more and more "pit bulls" in Columbia. Are these owners responsible? One can only hope. There was a time when it was difficult to get homeowners insurance when a breed like this was kept on the property.

Anonymous said...

I just read the article that was in the paper. Mayor Lutz said the police dept know some of these "repeat offenders" . Any and ALL repeat offenders should be charged an extra fee and they should ALL have 48 hrs to comply with all issues to keep their dogs in their required fenced in yards....why should all taxpayers continue to pay for the ignorance of others. It IS the dog owners responsibility to care for their pets. It's not right. And if their dog gets out a 3rd time-they MUST remove the dog from their ownership. gET RID OF THE DOG-FIND A NEW HOME FOR IT. These people who continue to bring in more dogs and then don't take care of them is ridiculous. I hope the Boro extends the new ordinance to include NUISANCE BARKING.....my neighbors 3 dogs are out 24/7 and bark almost constantly. AND DOG WASTE - they NEVER clean up the dog waste-so it smells horrible daily.
IF any of the councilors or boro manager,etc lived beside someone like this-THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. There is NO peace and quiet in my uptown neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

as usual, the Boro only ever gets PART of anything right. the FREQUENT FLIERS should have to pay an extra $50 or $100...maybe then they will take on their responsibility as a pet owner.
NUISANCE BARKING AND DOG WASTE NOT CLEANED UP SHOULD BE AN INSTANT CITATION FROM THE POLICE AND CODES DEPT.........IT'S A SERIOUS ISSUE....AS IS PEOPLE WHO TAKE THEIR DOGS FOR WALKS TO DO THEIR BUSINESS AND DON'T CLEAN IT UP

Anonymous said...

good points. i am a dog owner and dog lover...the difference is-I take care of my dog, I do not let him outside for hours on hours on end to bark and disturb the peace and quiet of my neighborhood. I do clean up dog waste (with a shovel and a bag) 2 times every week!! I love my dog. I take him to the vets for care. He loves me unconditionally. I would NEVER mistreat my best friend.

Joe Lintner said...

There are many responsible dog owners in town.
And then there are the others: Those who don't train or even try to correct their dog; or who tie the dog out to a dog box with 3 feet of chain and don't pay any attention as it barks endlessly out of frustration; or who let the dog run for hours in the backyard barking at everything in sight; or who let the dog run throughout the neighborhood, shitting on lawns and attacking other dogs; or who walk the dog without a leash and don't control it as it jumps on other people.
Over the years I've had various neighbors who let their dogs bark for hours. Funny thing is, they never seem to mind it - although everyone else in the neighborhood does. When you complain they act like YOU are the problem.
One neighbor kept what I swear was a timber wolf in a penned-in area in the yard. It howled intermittently all hours of the day and night.
I agree there should be increasing fines for repeat offenders who let their dogs run free but also for those who let their dogs bark continuously. The latter always seem to get off with a warning or two, with no real consequences, and so the behavior continues.

Anonymous said...

Call the cops continuously until the barking is addressed. There is a noise ordinance in the borough. Call about the obvious health issues with having dog feces around for months on end. Push these issues relentlessly.

Anonymous said...

i agree. i am sick and tired of listening to my neighbors dogs bark constantly.....from now on i will call the police...they will get sick of me calling and insist the offenders take their freakin dogs inside their house.....who get dogs and let them out 18 hrs a day and half the nite, in all kinds of weather??? i feel the owners should be punished for being so ignorant!

Joe Lintner said...

I'm not sure, but I seem to remember an ordinance that says a dog can't be left out for more than two hours at a time without shelter. I'll try to track it down.

Anonymous said...

really??? these dogs are out by 8 am (at the latest) and still out at 10 pm every day, in all kinds of weather....barking, crying...actually they should be reported for mistreating their dogs, letting them out in the rain, snow, ice, hot sun, etc...

Joe Lintner said...

From the borough codes book:

§ 82-12. Control and treatment of animals.
A. It shall be unlawful for any owner to fail to exercise proper care and control of his animals to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance. Excessive, continuous or untimely barking or noise making, smell, mischief, molesting of passersby, chasing of vehicles, habitual attacks on other domestic animals or trespassing upon private property in such manner as to damage property shall be deemed a nuisance.
B. It shall be unlawful for any owner, keeper or custodian to fail to provide animals with sufficient good and wholesome food and water, proper shelter and protection from the weather, and veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering and to fail to provide them with humane care and treatment. It shall be unlawful for any owner, keeper or custodian to beat, cruelly ill-treat, torment, overload, overwork or otherwise abuse any animal or to cause or permit any dogfight, cockfight or other combat between animals or between animals and humans.

Anonymous said...

thank you! i do believe my neighbors are in violation of the boros dog ordinance-in more ways than 1...excessive and continuous barking, dog waste, improper treatment, nuisance. i will take matters into my own hands and call the police and i will encourage the other neighbors to do the same....if 2 or 3 or more people would call, they would know its BAD, and they-police or codes WILL be forced to do something...start with an instant citation....

Joe Lintner said...

It sounds as if you have a legitimate complaint. I hope you get results. I know what it's like to live next to a neighbor with a barking dog. It's nerve-wracking! Please comment again and let me know how you make out with this.

Joe Lintner said...

I've found pit bulls to be very "forward." Most are simply curious. Some are downright aggressive.

Joe Lintner said...

Let's hope that's the case. Repeat offenders should receive progressively harsher penalties.

Joe Lintner said...

I agree with your points.

Joe Lintner said...

Vigorous enforcement might persuade some of these owners to become more responsible.

Joe Lintner said...

Thank you for maintaining and caring for your dog. More pet owners should follow your example.

Joe Lintner said...

You're right - more people should complain, and they should do so until the problem gets resolved.

Joe Lintner said...

I guess I was wrong about the two-hour limit, but there are plenty of other ordinances in place governing the behavior of dogs and their owners.

Anonymous said...

Cole, I believe this article has struck a nerve, judging from the many comments!

Joe Lintner said...

That seems to be the case. Looks like lots of folks are dealing with similar issues. If enough people complain often enough, something will have to be done.

Anonymous said...

agreed. thanks! i've had an issue with my neighbor and their barking dogs for years...let's hope we can get something done about it this time. i do think a lot of residents have t put up with barking dogs and i don't think anyone at the boro takes this serious....they act like it's nothing. but guess what, i pay taxes too and i am entitled to be able to enjoy some peace and quiet in my yard....yes even in the winter. we do need to stick together. we should NOT have to put up with the constant barking and barking...and the smell of dog shit.

Joe Lintner said...

You are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of your property. Unfortunately, some residents have no consideration for their neighbors.

Anonymous said...

The problem with enforcing this is that almost all the victims never want to testify about the issue in court. That is why the police cannot cite the offenders in a number of cases.

Joe Lintner said...

Good point. Some people fear reprisals, and with cause.

Anonymous said...

well if neighbors would BAND together....have a plan in place for 3 or 4 or more, then when the dogs start barking...each and everyone call...if they get 2, 3 or more calls about 1 property, don't you think they will get tired of giving a warning? can you list the phone numbers for all? thank you!

Anonymous said...

I doubt if the mayor lives next door to a barking dog! And if he did it wouldn't be barking for long.

Anonymous said...

call the police...684-2120 ???? (that's their old number - is it still good)

Joe Lintner said...

Very good point!

Joe Lintner said...

Yes, if people would stick together on this, they could get results.
I'll do a follow-up and list the numbers.

Joe Lintner said...

The number I have is 684-7735.