Douglas announces animal and sanitation ordinance changes - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Information from the City of Douglas

 City of Douglas officials recently looked at several ordinances that needed to be revised or changed to bring them current with issues they are dealing with today. Over the past several months, city directors met with the Mayor and Commission to present their recommendations for changes to the Animal and Fowl Ordinance and Sanitation Ordinance. Ordinance changes are effective April 1, 2013.

Changes will include naming Douglas as a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Within the city limits, it is unlawful to trap, hunt, molest or kill any bird or rob any bird's nest. However, if the birds are considered a "nuisance" then the birds will be destroyed as humanely as possible as deemed advisable by the City Manager. It shall be unlawful to trap, hunt, molest or kill any other wild game in the city limits except by order of the City Manager.

Definitions have been added to the Animal Control Ordinance to define abandoned animals, proper shelter, enclosures, dangerous dogs, potential dangerous dogs, and vicious dogs.

Animal Control will now have the power to enforce penalties on owners and confiscate animals of owners who are in violation of the new ordinances. In addition, the new ordinance also addresses guidelines for the trainers of protection/guard dogs and backyard breeders (kennels).

In addition to these changes, there were also changes addressing restraint of an animal. It also shall be unlawful for an owner to restrain an animal by means of tether, chain, cable, rope or cord, unless the tether or other restraint is being held by a competent person.

An exception shall be made for the limited purpose of allowing the owner to temporarily restrain the animal by such means to allow the animal's needs to be met, such as the time necessary to clean the animal's living quarters, feed, and water.

In an effort to clean up the right-of-ways throughout the city, changes were made to the sanitation ordinance. All residential solid waste stored outside the residence pending collection shall be placed in city approved trash receptacles.

Under no circumstances will garbage outside of the city-issued container be collected.

Customers may request additional containers for an additional monthly fee. Beginning the evening before and no later than 6:00am on the day of collection, customers should place their container at the curbside in front of the customer's residence. The container should be removed from the curbside and returned to a location behind the customer's residence or to a place that is outside of City's right-of-way and out of view from the right-of-way no later than 6:00am following the scheduled day of service.

Customers routinely allowing containers to remain at curbside outside of the hours specified shall be deemed to create a nuisance, punishable as a violation of the Code.

It shall also be unlawful for any person to store any scrap tires on residential property or to willfully discard or place tires on private property and public rights-of-way.

All persons engaged in scrap tire handling, within the city, shall do so in strict compliance with the requirements of OCGA 12-8-20, et. seq., and chapter 391-3-4-19, Rules of Solid Waste Management, as applicable to scrap tires.

These ordinances in their entirety can be found at www.cityofdouglas.com and click on Code of Ordinance. For more information, please call the Public Works department at (912) 389-3450.