After two months of debate by Sussex County Council, it was the public’s turn to comment on the new dog-control ordinance. Only three residents addressed council during a Tuesday, Dec. 1 hearing, but their comments were strong enough to create discussion among council members for possible changes in fees and policies.
Karen Sullivan, a kennel owner from Delmar, said pet owners and kennel owners are charged the same $50 fine for not obtaining a license. She said that section of the ordinance needed some work. “It’s not fair they pay the same penalty,” she said.
In addition, she said, the 10-foot leads for outside dogs would be too short.
Dan Kramer of Greenwood said wording in the ordinance was not clear when it comes to proof of rabies vaccination prior to issuance of a dog license. He said it would be easy for a dog owner to circumvent the requirement.
“If you are going to do it, do it right,” he said.
Michael Sheldon of Bridgeville said the ordinance does not contain a penalty to control barking dogs and is not clear on what constitutes a kennel.
“There is not enough bite in the law,” he said.
But in the end, council voted unanimously to adopt the new ordinance with no changes.
“There are some valid points, but we are on a tight time schedule,” said Council President Vance Phillips, R-Laurel. And, he said, any major changes or increase in fees would require another public hearing.
Phillips said he had received several calls that fees for dog licenses are too high.
Dog owners will see an increase in license fees from $3 to $10 for spayed and neutered dogs and from $6 to $15 for unspayed or unneutered dogs.
Councilman Mike Vincent, R-Seaford, made a motion to put the decision on the ordinance off for a week. “I’m not comfortable with the license fees,” he said.
Council members would also like to change the fine for noncompliance with the ordinance. Kennel owners with multiple dogs should pay a higher fine, council members said.
Vincent’s motion died for lack of a second. “The ordinance seems reasonable and well balanced,” said Councilman George Cole, R-Ocean View. “We can always amend it later on through the public-hearing process. Right now we are taking pot shots. We need to move on.”
Counties take over dog control
The Delaware General Assembly passed House Bill 233 this past session mandating that the counties take over dog control by Jan. 1, 2010. The process has been in transition as the cost was shifted over to the counties. Sussex County has provided $1.2 million to subsidize the cost over the past two years.
County council awarded a one-year contract for $671,750 to Kent County SPCA, which currently provides dog-control services to all three Delaware counties under a state contract. The county will provide licensing services, and Kent County SPCA will provide all dog-control services.
The only other bidder for the contract was Delaware SPCA.
County Administrator David Baker said the selection committee negotiated with both bidders, with Kent County SPCA winning the bid. Baker said Kent County SPCA would provide eight full-time employees to Sussex County, working two shifts for 16 hours per day, seven days a week.
Duties will include investigating complaints, retrieving unleashed dogs and inspecting kennels. The contract allows for two, one-year options, which must be agreed to by both parties.
“We believe this is the most economical and sensible approach to managing dog-control responsibilities at the county level,” Baker said. “The Kent County SPCA has been providing dog- control services throughout the state for the past couple of years, and we believe their experience, along with the fact that they have the resources and staff already in place, make them the most logical choice to be awarded the contract.”
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