AR-News: (US CT) Town, state unleash differing edicts on dogs

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer

March 22, 2004


When a police officer tried to ticket Richard Cryer for letting his golden 
retriever, Cody, swim unleashed at Greenwich Point during the offseason, Cryer 
produced a copy of a state statute to prove that it was legal for his dog to 
run free.

The 70-year-old retired engineer said he began carrying a copy of the law to 
the beach with him after he had to persuade a police officer not to ticket him 
last year.

"Most of the dogs that run in the water don't bother anybody," Cryer said. "I 
suppose there are a few dogs that could be trouble, but I think the dogs 
should be allowed on the beach."

Responding to increased complaints about roaming dogs, Greenwich police and 
animal control officers began issuing citations in recent weeks to dog owners 
who let their dogs off a leash at Greenwich Point, Animal Control Officer 
Allyson Halm said. But dog owners may be within their rights due to an ambiguity in 
the law.

A town ordinance imposes a $92 fine for allowing a dog to roam off a leash at 
Greenwich Point, but the state statute Cryer cited allows owners to unleash 
their dogs below the high-water mark, which is considered state property.

Connecticut law 22-364 requires dog owners to prevent their dogs from roaming 
at large on public property and says pets must be "under control" at all 
times, but it doesn't make a leash a requirement. Cryer asked the town to clarify 
the law last year, and its law department sent him a letter explaining that 
dogs are allowed to swim below the mean high-water mark, but police officers can 
ticket owners if they think the dog is behaving badly.

Dog owners protest they are following the state law, but officers often see 
dogs that appear out of control, Halm said.





full story:

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-dogs3mar22,0,7390669.story?coll
=green-news-local-headlines 
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