Roseburg City Council is seeking to rewrite the city’s policies surrounding animal control.

The proposed ordinance discussed last Monday would bring potential changes to what is considered an animal nuisance and restrict how many domestic animals will be permitted to each Roseburg resident.

City Council conducted a first reading of the potential ordinance. Council moved to make additions to the ordinance before the second reading at a later date.

Councilors posed questions to Roseburg Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein, who explained how the new ordinance sets a foundation for the police department to exercise enforcement.

Number of dogs and cats permitted

“If there are problems we are going to come out and this would give us a tool to alleviate the problem but if there was not a problem we’re not going to know and we’re not going to be knocking on people’s doors asking how many dogs people have,” Klopfenstein said. “It’s complaint-driven.”

According to the first reading of the ordinance, a maximum number of four adult dogs and their offspring up to six months old may be permitted on each city lot. This restriction extends to “an owner who resides or is staying in the city.”

The order would allow for a maximum of six cats. However, these restrictions do not extend to any licensed kennels. Councilor David Mohr called for additional language to be added in order to be more specific.

Klopfenstein explained the limit on domestic animals had to be drawn somewhere in order to have some kind of animal control policy. “We’re going to be reasonable, too. If a rancher is out there with six sheep dogs on Rifle Range, we’re not going to ever do anything with that,” Klopfenstein added.

According to City Attorney Jim Forrester, depending on what zone a kennel owner seeks to operate in, any kennel owner can go through the process of getting that kennel approved.

Impoundment

According to the potential ordinance, an animal control officer or a law enforcement officer is permitted to impound an animal from an owner in violation of the new code. The owner will receive notice of the impoundment by mail.

“A licensed dog, or a dog for which the owner is known, which has not been redeemed within 120 hours of notification of the owner by telephone contact or by mailing of the impoundment notice may be deemed property of the animal shelter and may be sold or humanely euthanized,” according to the potential ordinance.

If the owner is unknown the period of impoundment is 72 hours.

“All of the appeals processes in all of our ordinances go, the final step, goes to the city manager,” Klopfenstein said.

If that appeal does not reach the city within the allotted time — five business days — the city manager will have the final say if the animal in question will be sold, deemed property of the animal shelter or humanely euthanized.

Animal nuisance

The city’s proposed animal control policy lists 11 instances where an animal could be considered a nuisance.

“Knowing animals as well as I do — especially dogs — that there should be some heavier fines or something to the dog owners because really it is the dog owners that are responsible for the actions of a dog,” said Councilor Patrice Sipos. “I would like to see something where the dog itself is not the one taking the punishment for bad behavior.”

Potential penalties go to a judge to determine and a part of those punishments are fining the owner of the dog in question. According to Forrester, within the city code an owner of a dog cited for any given nuisance could be fined up to $1,500. Although, Forrester said, that amount is rare.

“Under all of these nuisances that is something, when they appear in front of the judge, if they are cited for these things that is normally what occurs,” Forrester said.

It is unknown when the second reading will take place; the next City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2024.