Mountain City residents to make call on dog
ordinance
Daleen Berry
Cumberland Times-News
FROSTBURG - Thursday night's city council meeting will be the first
step in determining if local residents want an ordinance to regulate
"vicious or dangerous dogs."
The decision to start the process came after Frostburg's mayor and council
agreed in a Tuesday evening work session that the matter has serious merit.
"I'm looking at a more proactive approach, rather than a reactive (one),
Public Safety Commissioner John Ralston said.
A recent incident involving John Ferree, a 62-year-old city man who was bit
by a pit bull June 17 and who had to take the first series of rabies shots
before the animal's owners were found, is what prompted Ralston to consider
an ordinance for dangerous dogs. The pit bull was one of two running loose
that day, while being taken for a walk. Ferree said he sustained a small
bite on his thumb, after he rescued his Jack Russell Terrier from the pair.
City law prohibits dogs running loose, and even though the attack happened
on Frostburg State University property, the incident still fell within the
city's jurisdiction. "It wouldn't matter. If it's running loose within the
corporate limits, it's not legal," John Kirby, city administrator, said
then.
"It is illegal to turn your dog loose to run the neighborhood under any
circumstances. Even if it's a little fur ball like we have at the house,"
Kirby said at the work session.
Ralston stressed he is not "anti-dog," adding that he's always had a dog
himself. "I like dogs. I just don't like vicious dogs or dangerous dogs."
He said he's seen "a lot of pit bulls in Frostburg," and went on to tell
about a recent, positive experience he had with a pit bull. "But that's not
always the case," Ralston said.
Because Frostburg has a lot of pedestrians, including people pushing baby
carriages, joggers and even dog walkers, Ralston wants "to protect people
(and) people's pets, also."
Since this is a new topic for the mayor and council, Kirby said it would be
necessary to allow public input through public hearings. Then, depending on
what the outcome is, there would be public hearings on any proposed
ordinance.
Public comments will be taken at both Thursday night's regular city council
meeting, as well as at the August meeting, provided there is interest shown
by the public for such an ordinance, Kirby said.
In between the two meetings, council members will consider the matter again
at their August work session. Work sessions are open meetings, but public
comment can only be heard at a regular meeting, Kirby reminded council
members and the public in attendance at the Tuesday work session.
"If the consensus is, if the community wants something done, then we could
prepare a draft ordinance for the process to begin in September," Kirby
said. "It would be adopted at your October meeting and take effect in
November or (January 1), whatever you would like to do."
This would give the community "ample opportunity to comment on both the
concept and the specifics of the draft ordinance," Kirby added.
Those two very different things - the concept and the specific details -
will be looked at by council members as they review research taken from the
Internet from such agencies as the Municipal Research and Services Center of
Washington. That information looks at numerous factors, including specific
breeds of dogs, ordinances that have been enacted in various cities and
states around the country, court cases, exemptions (which could apply for
service dogs, such as a trained guide dog), the type of dogs that are most
responsible for attacks, the number of fatalities, and the financial impact
of dog bites.
Thursday's regular council meeting is set for 7 p.m. at the Frostburg
Community Center.
Daleen Berry can be reached at
dberry@times-news.com.