Alexander City Officials Address Dog Attack Concerns
Alexander City is cracking down on the city’s pet ordinance. That’s after some residents say they’re being attacked by neighborhood dogs, including one woman, who was bitten badly enough to go to a hospital.
Alexander City Police say they might be tightening restrictions on the city’s leash ordinance, but they say they need residents’ help to enforce rules that are already in place.
Alexander City Animal Control officers say they started hearing about dog attacks on New Year’s Day.
“A lady got bit by a dog several times while on her run, and then the neighborhood decided there had been problems for awhile, even though they had not been reported until that time,” said Animal Control Officer Kelly Colney.
Scotty Howell jogs along Ridgeway Drive several times a week near where police say the attack happened.
“I’ve never really had much of a problem. An occasional dog will give chase, but breaks off soon enough,” he said.
Alex City Mayor Charles Shaw says about 3 dozen people from the area met with city officials about the attacks and the current leash law, which says you must keep your dog leashed or behind a fence at all times.
“There may be a little stiffening of the ordinances. I think we’ve got an ordinance in place now that takes care of them, and we have been enforcing them,” he said.
Animal Control officers say if the person who was attacked won’t make a formal complaint, they can’t do anything. If an animal control officer doesn’t see the animal off a leash, its owner can’t be cited. They say they need residents to pitch in and help enforce the law.
“Until we get the citizens to understand they can’t let their dogs out, we have some that will let their dogs out in the afternoon once they know the animal control officers have gone home, so they’ll take their dogs out and let them run in the afternoon,” Shaw said.
The City Council will meet to talk about possible changes to the ordinance, Shaw said, but nothing has been decided yet.
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