Scooping up dog droppings may be more than just good manners soon.
City councilors said Tuesday they plan to impose a law that would require pet owners to clean up after their animals.
The existing law in Bristol requires owners to pick up after their pet on school or park property, but that’s it. There’s not even a leash law in town, though pets are supposed to be “under the control” of owners at all times.
But officials are moving to impose tougher rules after hearing complaints from residents who are tired of dog droppings dotting their front lawns.
City Councilor Craig Minor, who heads the Ordinance Committee, said the issue is “pretty straightforward” and unlikely to prove controversial.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that “common courtesy and respect” for others should cause dog owners to scoop the poop their animals drop on neighbors’ lawns and walks.
He said, though, that he’s seen an increase in the number of people “allowing their dogs to do their business without picking it up.”
McCauley said that even though it’s a small issue, it’s an important one.
He cited the “broken glass” theory of crime control that basically says that municipalities should focus on smaller issues, such as broken windows, in order to keep larger problems from cropping up.
Other towns have “more of a zero tolerance,” McCauley said, and Bristol should at least take a harder stand.
Dale Clift, a city lawyer, said that he would have something drafted before the May 28 ordinance panel meeting so that councilors can review the tentative text of a statute that could be added to the city’s code this summer.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
13 comments:
Will this include the nasty dog park up on Chippens Hill?
My taxes are up 10%, and this is what they are working on?
7:22 Am
Exactly. The City has a number of projects in process, downtown, a major transformation of the school system, the parks, etc. There is looming fiscal crisis which the City seems content to tax its way out of even though the taxpayers are being pressed by rapidly rising energy, food, and health care costs. And all they can talk about is dog poop and massage parlors.
Maybe someone can pick up the dog dropping and fill the pot holes on the conor of Jan rd and Alba Drive. I think that could be Kevins district.
Come on people, put on your thinking caps! Cleaning up poop and massage parlors is one small step in cleaning up Bristol. We clean up Bristol and it's more appealing to investors. More investors, more income. More income, lower taxes...Like grandma always said, "watch your pennies and your dollars will take care of themselves."
Let's try to get our heads out of the poop and look at the bigger picture.
Great opportunity, lets tax massage and "other" along with dog droppings. Fiscal windfall for the city.
10:23
It might be some elses!
There is already an a fine on the books for dog crap! Who is going to enforce this? We can't even enforce it now - dogs off leash in our parks and oh yeah the press yesterday with a dog swimming in the lagoon - Gee that is against the park rules and yet its not enforced!! I say ban all dogs from the parks then we don't have to worry about the poop.
No, there is no fine for failing to clean up after your dog except on school or park property. Everywhere else, dogs can do what they will. They don't even have to be on a leash.
Does Tom Zipp live in Bristol????
Will cats be next?
Will we be able to check for dog DNA?
This is political fluff.
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