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One of the most common
complaints we handle is dogs running loose. May people
misunderstand our duties regarding this problem.
The fastest way to
handle a stray dog or cat in your yard is to bring it in to the
shelter. (US31 & 13th
Road south of Plymouth, IN)
If you cannot do this,
call us with the name and address of the owner, and an exact
description of the pet. We will attempt to contact the owner to
explain the problem to them, so the owner can take steps to confine
the pet to its own home.
You can help by confining
the pet in a garage or shed, or inside a fenced area, so we can pick
it up during business hours. Hint: Throw a scrap of meat inside,
then close the door when the animal goes in to retrieve it.
What we cannot do:
We cannot pick up
pets from their own property. Many people think that if they
complain about a neighbor's pet, we can just go remove it. There
is a state law specifically forbidding this. To pick up a pet
from its own property, we must have a court order. Getting a
court order is difficult and time consuming.
We cannot write
tickets. We are not law enforcement. We can talk to the
owner and give them a copy of the state statute or local ordinance.
We cannot sit at
one address and wait for the pet to stray off its property. We
have several complaints each day, over 900 road miles to cover with
one vehicle to do this in. We employ only two full time
employees. These same employees clean kennels, go on animal
control calls, have to be at the shelter for returning lost pets to
owners, walk-in business, record keeping, answering the phone, walk-in
adoptions, receiving incoming animals, etc. These employees are
also "on call" each evening, and on weekends and holidays.
They simply cannot be everywhere all the time.
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