Aragon takes on animal issues
Tethering and live-trap tampering amendments to the animal control ordinance go through a first reading.
An amendment to Aragon’s Animal Control ordinance is moving forward despite objections from one City Council member who is worried the language of the change is too broadly defined.
Aragon council members voted 3-1 to move forward with the amendment, which will no longer allow for owners to tether their pets outdoors onto dog houses, trees, fences, vehicles or any other stationary objects.
Council member Judd Fee objected to amendment’s language, citing that it didn’t allow for those animals who might be tethered to a lead to remain on what might be their only means of keeping their dogs on their property. Specifically, he wanted the language to go into more detail about what would and wouldn’t be allowed.
The way that it is currently setup is that a pet can be tethered temporarily outside for no more than 48 hours — well over what is allowed in the City of Cedartown’s tethering ordinance — and that Animal Control or the city’s Code Enforcement officer can fine those who violate the new rule. It provides no fee schedule of fines for those who violate the tethering rules, but does for another part of the amendment, which prohibits residents from tampering with live animal traps.
In recent weeks, Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector Josh Ozment reported that he began putting out live traps in order to curtail the amount of stray animals that are causing damage to people’s property.
He told council members in his report the goal was to remove feral and unclaimed cats from Aragon, but that those which have tags will be returned to owners.
“We have so many complaints about feral cats and nothing has been done for so long that actions have to be done to clean them up and start over,” the report stated.
He added the goal was for him to be able to identify which cats are strays or feral, and which aren’t to ensure that owners don’t lose beloved pets.
Ozment’s report added that “I am also working closely with Animal Control to fix the issue of dogs running loose in the city limits.”
There have been a few residents that have issues with the live trapping, Ozment reported.
To ensure t hat l i ve traps aren’t tampered with in the future after being set, the council’s amendment to the Animal Control ordinance also includes fines for removing any animals found inside if caught, or destroy or damage traps.
A first offense would be fined $100, a second offense $200, and on third and subsequent offenses, the fine would then rise to $300.
Previously, Aragon had looked into a tethering ordinance before, but it was opposed at the time by council member Hunter Spinks, who ended his time on the council at the end of December.
Spinks had previously objected to amending the animal control ordinance on tethering due to his concerns that residents without fences who own dogs wouldn’t have a place to keep them, and they would then be sent outside to wander instead.
That was while t he council had only two sitting members and Mayor Garry Baldwin, and the issue died without a second on the motion at the time.
Assuming there is no change i n t he voting stance in March, the ordinance would appear again before the council for a second reading and subsequent approval.