WILTON — The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on a proposed animal control ordinance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at the town office.
The new ordinance, if accepted by voters at the annual town meeting in June, will replace the town’s dog control ordinance, which was adopted in 1998 and amended in 2002.
The 10-page animal control ordinance is based on those from other towns, Town Manager Rhonda Irish previously said.
Copies are available at the town office.
Barking dogs, dangerous dogs and animal waste disposal seem to be the main issues that prompted the new ordinance, Irish said.
The ordinance limits owning or keeping any dog that disturbs the peace of another person by its loud, frequent or habitual barking, howling or yelping.
The proposed ordinance defines a barking dog as one that barks “one hour or intermittently for three hours,” and barking that can be heard beyond the property boundaries.
Penalties, under the proposed ordinance, are “not less than $50 nor more than $250” for the first violation. For each subsequent violation, the penalty increases by $50.
The proposed ordinance defines dangerous dogs and special restraints. It includes a liability insurance provision of not less than $300,000 that the owner must provide.
Penalties for dangerous dogs are $500 for a first offense, $750 for the second, $1,000 for the third and an additional $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
The ordinance also proposes that owners not allow dogs to run at large and owners or anyone with a dog is expected to remove and dispose of any feces left by the dog on streets or sidewalks.
abryant@sunjournal.com
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