?SALISBURY — City Council is ready to tackle the issue of hazardous dogs in Salisbury neighborhoods.
The topic came to prominence in 2011 during a public forum about housing concerns, when forum participants selected hazardous dogs as one of their biggest worries.
City Council agreed on Tuesday to look at the issue, renamed “nuisance animals,” more broadly. Council members did not mention specific breeds or intentions, other than improving public safety.
For detailed recommendations on how best to address nuisance animals in the city limits, council members will rely on a new steering committee. Residents interested in the topic can apply to serve on the committee, which City Council will appoint at the Sept. 18 meeting.
Ideally, the committee will encompass a variety of viewpoints, with 10 or 11 members including a code enforcement officer, an animal rights advocate, a veterinarian, a neighborhood representative, and an animal shelter volunteer, said Joe Morris, the city’s director of Community Planning Services.
Theresa Pitner, an animal advocate, attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting to learn more about the committee.
“I’m very excited that the city of Salisbury is looking into responsible dog ownership,” Pitner said after the meeting. “That’s what it all boils down to. The bottom line is nuisance dogs are all outcomes of people who don’t take care of their dogs.”
Pitner, who fosters dogs for several area rescue groups, said she hopes the committee’s recommendations “will be aimed at people, not dogs.”
Councilman Brian Miller in February added dealing with hazardous dogs to City Council’s top priorities for this year.
After a personal experience with chained dogs next door to a property he owns, Miller said he better understood the issue and why people were so concerned about dogs and public safety.
The city currently has no way to regulate an aggressive, barking dog until it bites someone and animal control gets involved, Miller said. City Council needs to find a way to fill that gap, he said.
“We don’t want to wait until someone gets killed by an aggressive dog and say we should have done something,” he said.
Miller said he’s not interested in outlawing specific breeds but wants to keep people out of harm’s way.
“There has to be a better way than no way, or no policy,” he said.
Chris Branham, the city’s Code Services Division manager, has 127 pages of research comparing dangerous dog ordinances from across the state and U.S. for the committee’s consideration, Morris said.
Bringing together people with a variety of viewpoints will generate the best legislation, Councilman William “Pete” Kennedy said.
“When we hear from everybody, we can come up with the best solution for the city of Salisbury,” he said.
The committee will draft policy recommendations for addressing concerns associated with nuisance animals.
Members will help determine the role of the city in enforcing policies related to neighborhood safety and animal welfare.
The committee also will evaluate the capacity of code enforcement, animal control and animal shelters in providing reasonable and humane management of nuisance animals.
A report to City Council is due within 90 days of the group’s first meeting.
To apply for the committee, call Morris at 704-638-5324, email him at jmorr@salisburync.gov or apply online at www.salisburync.gov under boards and commissions.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.