McCracken County, KY

Proposed ordinance puts "bite" on pet owners

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Proposed ordinance puts "bite" on pet owners

By: Susan Stiegman



McCracken County is about to put the bite on some pet owners. The Fiscal Court votes Monday on whether to toughen the county's animal ordinance. McCracken County Judge-Executive Danny Orazine says the county's current animal ordinance needs more force..more teeth so to speak. "Forty-thousand people live in McCracken County," says Orazine. "Many of them have pets. That's a lot of animals we need more control over."



Among other things, the new ordinance would fine dog owners $100 if the pet leaves their property. Animal warden Danny Brown says he will respond to any complaints by first talking to the pet owners. But if the dog continues to run at large, there will be further consequences. "We could impound the animal," warns Brown. "And there would be fees to redeem the animal."



Pet owners, like 9-year-old Amy Dockery know the consequences of letting a dog run loose. "We lost four dogs already," says Dockery. "One of them ran away because he wasn't on a leash. We're trying to keep Buster." Buster, the family poodle, has been part of the Dockery family for a year now.



Brown says by requiring dangerous dogs like pit bulls to be on a leash at all times, and by restricting the areas where dogs like Buster can roam, the county can protect residents and the animals themselves. "Animals out here running around can cause all kinds of problems," says Brown. "They can get hit by a car. Someone could shoot them. All kinds of bad things can happen to the animal."



If passed Monday, the animal ordinance also will limit people from owning vicious or exotic animals, like tigers and some reptiles. Orazine says, believe it or not, requests for owning wild and venomous animals are not unusual in McCracken County.

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