THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!

Ahhhhh! Sunshine! Gentle breezes, sultry summer evenings, punctuated only by the sound of....yikes! Barking dogs! And they are chasing other barking dogs through your freshly manicured lawn, disturbing your summer Karma! What the %$#&!

Yep...summer is just around the corner. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there are too many dogs (and cats) running loose around town. Making matters worse, it is already "the season" for many of the female dogs in town, and their would-be suitors are already beginning to make themselves known. So, in the interest of community relations, and because there is nothing I like better than having to repeat myself over & over...here are a few things you should know.

1. If you have a dog that has not been fixed...you should probably take care of that very soon. Not only will it be cheaper for you when it comes time to get those new tags, but it will also keep your male dogs closer to home, and eliminate the visitors your female dog gets in the wee hours of the morning. It is also better for your pets health if they are fixed. Hey...don't believe me? Ask your vet!

2. All dogs residing in the city limits of Eureka are required to have city tags. No exceptions. You are required to have a license for your car, even if it's broke and you can't drive it. Fido is required to have tags, even if he stays inside most of the time. In fact, the City Code for this reads..."No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog or dogs, cat or cats, regardless of age, within the city until he or she have paid the annual city taxes hereafter provided and procure from the city clerk a dog tag or cat tag for the current year for each such dog or cat." And just so you know, the tags for your un-neutered dog or cat, $30.00. If your dog or cat has been neutered....$4.00. And in order to get those city tags, your pets must also have current proof of rabies vaccinations.

3. This past Friday, I just released a dog that had been in quarantine for 10 days, because it came out of the yard, chased a young boy, and bit him. It was not current on its rabies shots, thus the need to be quarantined. At the risk of overstating the obvious, much of this could have been avoided simply by having the dog current on its shots, and by making sure the dog was properly restrained. No one wants to think their dog is capable or likely to be mean to someone. The truth, however, is that all dogs have the ability to be aggressive and territorial. That is why we have leash laws, and laws regarding dogs running at large...to protect us - and them - from this type of situation ever happening in the first place. So, do yourself...and your pet...a favor. Get those shots current, and keep them that way. It's not just the law, it's good common sense. If your dog does get loose - or is allowed to roam loose - and it bites someone, and then they have to go through that nasty series of painful rabies shots...well, it's a very good possibility you have just opened yourself up for a very expensive law suit. The last such lawsuit I read about from Minnesota, cost the owner $75,000. It cost the dog it's life. Enough said? Let's hope so!

4. So...what exactly IS running at large? Basically, it is allowing your dog to run free, anywhere within the city limits, where it is not under the owners direct control and supervision. And no, letting it run loose in your own yard to go potty is not ok, unless you are standing right there with it while it does its business. Let me emphasize this point! You cannot just open the door and let Fido run loose in your own yard, unless you are right there to supervise it, and the dog is under your direct control. Oh, and just so you know...if you chain or tether your dog in an area where it is within range of a public thoroughfare...like a sidewalk...it is still deemed to be "at-large". Your animal cannot be tied up in any area where it can reach people who are walking down the street, or down a sidewalk. If you want your dog to run free, move to the country, or fence in your yard. Otherwise, be a good neighbor, and a responsible pet owner, and keep Fido under control.

5. Its been a tough week. You are sooooo looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday. Then out of nowhere, promptly at the break of dawn, your slumber is disturbed by the noises of your neighbors roosters! Or the cackling of their chickens running around your yard. Running from your cat, or someone elses loose dog. Can't happen here in Eureka you say? Foolish child! Not only can it, but it has since I've been here...a little over two years. As a matter of fact, I know someone right now who has two turkeys in a pen in their front yard. Can you say, romper-room no-no? The City Code says, ""It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any fowl (i.e. chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, turkeys, etc.) within the city limits." 2-102 (b). Unless you have a proper 4-H permit. If you need one of those, contact the City Clerk in City Hall. Otherwise, it's back to the country for your birds.

6. If you are a dog owner, there is a City Ordinance you should make yourself familiar with. It is Ordinance No. 4086, and it deals with animal restraint, and animal confinement. If you keep your pet outside, you really need to get a copy and read it. It was passed & became effective last May. It will be enforced this year. You can get a copy either by calling City Hall, 583-6511, or by calling the City Administrators office at 584-6140. Get a copy now, and save yourself some frustration later!

7. Now I know not everyone is all that familiar with every breed of dog. Especially now in an age where so many dogs are mixed breeds, like Jack Russells and Dachsunds. I even saw a Blue-heeler/Dachsund mix today. Cute little guy, mottled in color, with one blue eye. But it is hard to miss the fact that a dog is a pit bull, or has a mix of pit bull in them. In either case, they are not allowed within the city limits of Eureka. The City Code says in a nuttshell, that you cannot have a pit bull, or any mix of pit bull or any of the pit bull or the bull terrier breeds, including American Stafforshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The fines are heavy, and the dog may be confiscated. So, if you have any doubt about the dogs ancestry, it might be best to pick one you are more certain about.

8. Lastly for today, I'd like to discuss something called "Right Of Entry". Basically, this is a clause written into the City Code, which gives the Animal Control Officer and the Code Enforcement Officer - thats me - the right to enter upon private property to enforce the codes of the city. It reads as follows:

Chapter 2, article 2-208: "The impounding officer shall have the right of entry upon any private unenclosed lots or lands for the purpose of collecting any animal whose presence thereupon is a violation of this article. It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with the impounding officer in exercise of this right."

That means if Fido gets loose, and then runs home after I see it and chase it, and then sits on the porch, I can come up on the porch and impound the animal if I deem it necessary. It also means I can come into a yard and check on the welfare and proper tagging of any animal found in said yard. So, if a neighbor tells you I came into your yard while you were gone, and took a peek at Fidos collar to see if it had the proper tags, please do not call the office and scream at my boss about me trespassing on your property. It might be helpful to remember that had your pet not been breaking the law by running loose to begin with...even if it did come home, or had it been properly tagged in the first place...my visit would not have even been necessary. It might not be particularly helpful to stand in front of the Judge and accuse me of breaking the trespass law, when the city laws that you broke prompted my visit to begin with! I'm just sayin'!

So, to wrap up, let me make one final point. It is NEVER ok to beat your dog with a BBQ fork, crowbar, rake handle, shovel, ball peen hammer or anything else that may cause serious injury or even death. In the State of Kansas, that is called animal cruelty and abuse, and that is now a felony. Yes, dogs can be irritating at times. They can be stubborn, and often will not come when you call them. Often it is because they know they will be beaten with one of the above mentioned items if they do come, and often, it is because they have been chained up and neglected for so long, they hardly even KNOW their names, let alone have any incentive to come back to a chain around a tree! If your dog is hard to handle, maybe I can help. If they get loose, maybe I can help there too! It's worth a call at any rate, and could save you a lot of extra heart-ache. It's good to call the local radio station, and let people know your dog is missing. They perform a wonderful public service by announcing it, and should be commended for doing so! But they do not pick up your dog. I do. So after you call them, please, call me too! I might already have your dog. I am always willing to help you look for it! My number is 750-0302. Write it down. You might be glad you did! And Fido will thank you too!

A night in the pound, $75.00 or more. A night at home with his human family who love him...priceless!