$1,000 fine in Baltimore - Page 1

Baltimore begins issuing $1,000 fines for dogs off leash

Baltimore animal control officers have begun issuing $1,000 fines to pet owners who allow their dogs to run off leash or fail to pick up after them.

“People aren’t surprised, they are shocked,” said animal enforcement supervisor Joseph Hodge.

The fines are 10 times what they had been and raise the cost for letting a dog run off leash or failing to pick up its waste to the level of dog fighting or keeping a vicious dog.

The City Council passed the increases last year as part of a larger measure raising fines for a variety of animal control violations.

The legislation was introduced by Council members James B. Kraft, Bill Henry, William H. Cole, IV, Robert W. Curran, Sharon Green Middleton, Edward L. Reisinger and Warren Branch in February. The city health department and Envrironmental Control Board supported the bill and Mayor Sheila Dixon signed it into law in January.

Animal control officers began issuing the higher citations on April 1, Hodge said. He would not say how many of the $1,000 citations have been issued so far.

Residents who complain about the citations are being told to contact their council members. They also can appeal the fines to the Environmental Court, Hodge noted.

 

I'm sure I will be unpopular with my response, but as an ACO, I can tell you most people think that "dog laws" are a joke. Sometimes money is the only way to get people to pay attention. If dogs being at large had become a major problem, then raising the fine may have been the only way. I am in this job for the animals--not to make money for the town. Dogs who are allowed to roam at will, will eventually have their luck run out, and get killed. There is no greater pain for me than to have to bring a dead dog home to it's family. I use a graduated system in my town. I start off with a verbal warning, and attempt to educate the owners about what is required as a dog owner here, Accidents do happen (gates left open, kids not shutting the door etc) and I understand that. If it happens again, then a written warning, and a more stern talk is issued, and finally, when I am convinced that the owner is not going to get with the program, I will issue a fine. I give eveyone the chance to do the right thing before the ticket book comes out--even if it means bringing my hammer over on my day off, and helping the owner build a kennel area.

Heidi

Doesnt sound out of line to me sounds like your bending over backwards to help.

I think you doing it the fair way , giving the pet owners a chance , nothing wrong with it. But there are pet owners out there who don't get it or just don't care until they actually get a good hefty fine. Then the dog ends up in the pound .

I wish they would put that law in place here.  I'm seeing more and more dogs come around our yard.....it's fenced.....but they come up to the fence barking at me, and then they go running off around the neighborhood getting into things, some have got hit by cars, but the owners just don't care. You'll see packs of dogs running around here all the time.

In my home town, the fine isn't that large, but after a second violation, YOU get JAILED for ten days and then get probation. See very, very, few strays in Shawnee, OK, I can assure you. In OKC, however, where I live now, there are feral packs everywhere and dogs running loose all over the place.

"as an ACO, I can tell you most people think that "dog laws" are a joke. Sometimes money is the only way to get people to pay attention. If dogs being at large had become a major problem, then raising the fine may have been the only way. I am in this job for the animals--not to make money for the town. Dogs who are allowed to roam at will, will eventually have their luck run out, and get killed."

Ok, BUT, and I know this from personal experience:  Who's going to get whacked with these fines?  NOT the troublemakers, but the person who (and I'm not joking) has their dog off-leash to walk from their house to their car parked in front of their house and happens to be seen by an ACO who will delightedly pounce on them and write them up.  Totally in control dog, happens to be off leash, WHAM - AGAINST THE LAW!!!! 

As for the people who don't clean up after their dogs?  LOL - def. think $1,000 fine is in order.

I have only vissited Baltimore, never lived there, but I would not be surprised if they have a problem with unleashed pits. They may be looking for a way to control thesse dogs without BSL. This is only a guess. They may also simply be looking to raise money, tax revenues are probably way down.

First of all, in answer to JessJ10's comments, no, I would not cite anyone walking their dog to their car from their house. There is such a thing as being reasonable. I was an ACO in MA before coming here to Maine. While there may be some ACO's who look for ways to rack up the citations, I have never know any. If the owner is right there with the dog, and the dog is under their control, the most they will hear from me is "nice dog". I am talking about the dogs out roaming with no owner anywhere near. There is a big difference. Just today, I got called out to Bowdoin College because there was a boxer running around the parking lot barking at everyone. I picked up the dog, and drove around the area for 30 minutes to try and locate the owner--dog had no collar/tags on. I finally found 2 adults walking around with a leash in their hands. Yes, it was their dog, and they had been looking for him for over an hour. I suggested that they need to do more obedience work with the dog before letting it play off leash in an open area. Their reply was, "our dog is completely under our control." Then why were they looking for him for over an hour? I then said that under their control should include coming when called, and they said that he does. They didn't get it and they never will. Just like some parents are with their children, some dog owners are the same==my child/dog is perfect. The other excuse that I hate is "oh but my dog is the friendliest dog you could ever meet."  I could go on and on. Don't knock ACO's. We take alot of crap, get paid crap, and if we do the job right, people are going to complain.

I'm all for it.  I hate people who allow their dogs t orun off leash up to me or my dogs, eat my food off the track or fail to pick up after their dogs.

-Calvin