YOUNGSTOWN Kennel proposal stirs ire

Laws should regulate owner behavior, not the number of dogs an owner has, one speaker said.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City officials are barking at the wrong laws if they want to establish kennel regulations, dog enthusiasts say.
A public hearing Tuesday afternoon in city hall concerned zoning legislation that would limit people to three or fewer dogs before kennel laws would apply.
The hearing drew eight people, five of whom spoke. Rarely does anybody speak, or even attend, such hearings.
At issue: The speakers talked about how the proposed laws would be easily evaded and difficult to enforce, and how they don't address the true problem -- irresponsible pet owners.
Enforcing laws aimed at the behavior of dog owners is the key to solving problems that are prompting the kennel legislation, speakers said.
"Irresponsible ownership is the issue here," said Cathy Guyan of Youngstown, who has four dogs. "The ones you're trying to affect don't care."
People will hesitate to license their dogs or take them to the vet if they're over the limit, and people who foster unwanted dogs and save them from being destroyed won't do it any more, she said.
Other communities look at the behavior of the owners, not the number of dogs they have, to determine if a property is a kennel, said Gordon Chambers of Mineral Ridge, head of the Mahoning-Shenango Kennel Club.
"Find a better way to protect residents," he said.
Suggestion: Laws regulating owner behavior -- not their possessions -- can accomplish the goal, said Ed Goist, chief executive of Animal Charity in Youngstown.
If people are in violation, enforce the laws and make sure the sentences come with mandatory minimum penalties. Irresponsible dog owners, even repeat offenders, pay no attention to minor penalties, he said.
How people care for their canines -- not the number -- is the problem, Goist said.
An irresponsible owner with one problem dog is far worse than many owners with four or more, said Fran Horvath of Youngstown, a Mahoning-Shenango member. She has four dogs, too.
"You're targeting the wrong people," she said.
The comments will be discussed in city council's safety committee, said John R. Swierz, D-7th, the chairman.
Current law: Right now there is no clear definition of a kennel in city law.
A property where four to six adult dogs are kept would be classified a kennel under the proposed new law.
Four or more adult dogs on property zoned general business or industrial also would constitute a kennel. Having more than six dogs on a property would require them to be kept in business or industrial areas.
Calvin Hill Sr. of Youngstown, who has four dogs, said council should be focusing on jobs and crime, not canines.
"We didn't put them in there for that," he said.
rgsmith@vindy.com