The pet project of Public Safety chair Lonnie Davis was scrutinized at Tuesday’s committee meeting.
Davis began the discussion by stating a need for a joint meeting with the county on the issue through the FAIR Committee.
The FAIR Committee deals with both city financies and relations with other government bodies.
Henderson City Council member Elissa Yount immediately inquired as to the subject of the meeting.
“We’d talk about enforcement,” Davis responded.
Ranger Wilkerson, a member of the Public Safety Committee, asked who would enforce the proposed leash law.
“I don’t want to get into no dog business,” Wilkerson said. He indicated that he did not want to buy trucks, hire officers, or give the county money to enforce a leash law.
Wilkerson went on to say that a similar measure “died at the podium” a few years ago, meaning that sentiment at a public hearing had defeated the ordinance.
Davis clarified that the nature of his discussion with the county was that the city does not have a “storage tank” for the animals.
Yount indicated that she believed that if a dog was not on the owner’s property, it could be picked up by county animal control.
Davis replied that animal control will only pick up dogs that are reported.
Yount argued that dogs not on their owners’ property are picked up county-wide, and therefore should not incur additional expense.
Davis asked what would be done about people who do not have dogs on a leash.
The current law does not require a leash, but merely that the dog be “under the control” of the owner. Council member Lynn Harper quoted the relevant ordinance.
Council member Garry Daeke opined that the county does not enforce within the city limits as it should. He stated that that fact should be the conversation.
Council member Mary Emma Evans was of the opinion that the city needs a truck and an officer, but does not have the money. Daeke rejoined that the county needs a truck and an officer.
Bobby Gupton, another council member who was also present for the meeting, expressed the opinion that the county is responsive to animal control concerns of city residents. He said that if the city passes a leash law, it becomes obligated to support enforcement of that law.
Gupton said that county should be made to enforce the existing ordinance.
Wilkerson said that all information should be gathered before approaching county government. To that end, City Manager Jerry Moss was directed to look at how other counties enforce animal control ordinances in their cities.