Our view: Barking up the wrong tree

With a 5-1 vote Tuesday, Dothan commissioners decided to let sleeping dogs lie with regard to the city’s leash law. Voting down a proposed animal ordinance that raises questions about taxation and property rights is the commission’s best move at this juncture, although the city could benefit if the existing law had more teeth. That’s been the bone of contention with the whole process.

The impetus to draft a new ordinance was complaints from residents about animals at large. The existing leash law addresses that; critics have countered that animal control officers “just aren’t doing their jobs.” That’s apparently not the case. Prior to the vote, District 2 Commissioner Amos Newsome spoke about a threehour stint he did with an animal control officer on patrol, and concluded that the city should hire additional animal control officers to keep up with the work load.

“Dogs don’t keep regular hours,” Newsome said. District 4 Commissioner John Craig, who chaired the 10-member committee that drafted the proposed ordinance, was the lone supporter of the measure. His colleagues thought he was barking up the wrong tree. Mayor Pat Thomas and commissioners Newsome, Paul Lee, Taylor Barbaree and Keith Seagle all voted against the proposal, which drew wide, contentious opposition. Police Chief John Powell addressed the proposal by pointing out that the problem isn’t animals, it’s people who don’t take the responsibility of maintaining their animals.

That nips at the heels of a potential solution. By promoting responsible pet ownership, exploring a low-cost spay and neuter program and expanding the ranks of the animal control division to better enforce the existing leash law, city officials may discover they can mollify animal lovers and control roaming animals.