Petersburgh Town Board Action – About Dogs

by Alex Brooks
The Petersburgh Town Board meeting was primarily about dogs. The first order of business was to approve the boarding agreement with Pondviews Country Kennels, which was on the same terms as last year. It was approved without discussion.
Petersburgh Dog Officer Lynne Torello-Burns is about to start on a dog enumeration for the Town. Various members of the Board recalled dog enumerations being done in the not-too-distant past, but Town Clerk Callie Crisp says she has no record of any previous enumeration.
The next issue was what to do with dog licensing fees. Those fees were previously set by the State. They were $3.50 for altered dogs and 11.50 for unaltered dogs. Now the whole process is in the hands of the towns, and they can set whatever fee they want. A $1 fee goes to the State for each altered dog and $3 for each unaltered dog, and everything above that the Town keeps.
Supervisor Peter Schaaphok was very concerned about getting all the dogs in Town licensed because in order to get a dog licensed you have to prove that the dog has had its rabies shot. Unlicensed dogs may not be protected against rabies and therefore could be a threat to spread the disease. “It’s a public health issue,” said Schaaphok.
For this reason he urged that license fees be set low and fines for not licensing a dog be set high. The Board settled on a license fee of $3.50 for altered dogs and $6.50 for unaltered dogs.
Concerning fines for non-compliance, the Board looked up the existing dog law and found that fines for failing to license a dog could be up to $250 for a first offense and up to $500. But these are maximum fines – the actual amount of the fine is set at the judge’s discretion, and those present seemed to think they had typically been set low. The Board was wondering if a minimum fine might be a good idea but did not take any action on that at this meeting.
Dog Officer Lynne Torello-Burns said there have been quite a few rabies cases reported in the area recently, including rabid foxes and rabid skunks. She said last summer a rabid fox got into someone’s house in Stephentown. The disease remains a real threat. She said if an unvaccinated dog bites, it must be quarantined for six months at the owner’s expense, which could cost thousands of dollars. She urges all dog owners to get the required shots for their pets and get the dogs licensed.
Library Board Appointments
The Town Board approved appointments to the Library Board of Trustees as recommended by Board President Dan McCumber. Lori Hamm was reappointed for a five year term 2011-2015, and Nancy Burstein was appointed for a five year term 2011-2015 replacing Mary Jo Loughlin who did not seek re-appointment.
Other Matters
The Board set the end of the year meeting for Monday, December 27, at 11 am and set the 2011 Organizational meeting for Tuesday, January 4, at 7 pm.
Starting January 3 the Assessor’s hours will be Mondays, 3-6 pm, at the Petersburgh Town Hall.