Published: February 11, 2008 10:46 pm      

WHEATFIELD: Fines imposed for leash law offenders

A few passionate voices had plenty of input for the Wheatfield Town Board Monday night during a public hearing on the town’s dog laws.

The board voted unanimously to amend the town’s leash laws following the 45-minute hearing, attended by nearly 50 people. Specifically, the amended law raises fines for leash law violators and creates a new category that targets dangerous dogs.

Leash law offenders will be fined $100 for the first violation, $250 for the second and $500 for each subsequent offense. In addition, they could receive up to 90 days in jail. If a pet owner is convicted of violating the leash law and it involves a dog previously determined by the town court to be dangerous, the owner will then be fined $500 for the first offense and $1,000 thereafter.

“I think that a lot of the dog problems that we have are because of the lack of training and discipline and care that the owners don’t give them, and I think we all know that,” Supervisor Tim Demler said. “So that is why the fine structure that we’re talking about...doesn’t fine the dog, it fines the owners because the owner’s gotta get the message that they have to take responsibility for how they raise their animals and how they take care of their pets.”

A judge could order a dog be euthanized if it makes additional attacks after it has already been declared a dangerous animal, Demler said.

“If it attacks another animal or a person, it can be deemed a dangerous dog,” he said.

All of the residents who spoke supported the town board’s action.

“We’re all for all these fines. You could even increase them more,” said Stacy Wiedeman. “I don’t want the first bite to be one of my babies. ...We have leash laws and I think this is important, to send a message to people, let them know (that) Wheatfield is not going to tolerate these dogs running loose, not being fenced in or whatever. They have to be contained in some way.”

In addition to packing more of a financial punch on owners, the amended leash laws will create a paper trail for repeat offenders.

As such, “any attack should be reported, whether it’s major or minor,” Demler said. The documentation could lead town officials to send a letter to residents alerting them that a dog in their neighborhood has been deemed dangerous, and a notice may also be posted on the town’s Web site.

Dina Ciliento rescues abused and neglected dogs, and has eight of her own. She suggested the board take its laws one step further by posting animal cruelty offenders on the town’s Web site.

“It’s almost like the people who abuse animals have more rights,” she said. “I help animals, it’s my one and only love. It’s almost like pedophiles have more rights than animals these days.”

Virginia Barnhill also requested that the board expand the laws by mandating jail time for repeat offenders and even consider requiring violent dogs to wear a microchip, which would contain information on the dog’s past. She said the bottom line is that irresponsible pet owners don’t properly care for their animals.

“They don’t know what they’re doing when they get a pit bull, they don’t know what they’re doing when they get a rottweiler,” she said. “Every dog, as lovable as it is, could pose a threat. It’s just like a human being — we can snap at any given time, in any given situation.”

It would be up to a judge to determine the extent of the penalty.

In a related matter, Town Attorney Robert O’Toole said that the town is looking for dog enumerators to go around Wheatfield and record the number of dogs. The job pays $1 per dog, plus mileage. Anyone interested should call Town Hall at 694-1707.

During its regular meeting, the board appointed Brigette Grawe as Wheatfield’s full-time assessor, paying $48,000 annually.