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Dog control remains a topic of conversation in Pelham Jan. 11, 2022 | Doc Pruyne dpruyne@thereminder.com PELHAM – In a widely distributed letter to dog owners, also posted on the town website, the Selectboard summarized the changes to the bylaws on leashing and control enacted this year, and how the fee structure for dog violations has increased. “There is a new, higher fine scale,” said Police Chief Gary Thomann. “The first offense went up to $25.” Fine-worthy infractions include biting and other aggressive behaviors, running loose, nuisance barking, chasing livestock, and lack of a dog license. The fines begin at $25, and climb to $50 and $75 for a second and third offense. Inhumane treatment peaks at $100 after multiple offenses. The letter posted to the website on Dec. 22 stated that dog owners would be mailed the letter, which would also be featured in the Winter edition of the Pelham Slate. According to the letter, Subsection 5-3, Subsection 5-7, and Subsection 18 were amended to further clarify the required degree of control, and the fines for each failure to do so. It ended with the boldfaced statement, “Thus, there is a leash law in Pelham. All complaints and alleged violations should be reported to the dog officer, 413-800-6280.” As of Dec. 28, the Dog Officer’s voice mailbox had yet to be set up. The missive to dog owners clarified the language of the town’s leash law, which was confusing. Article 22, passed at the Annual Town Meeting in 2019, stipulated that an unleashed dog, wandering beyond the boundaries of its owner’s property, is in violation of the leash law, unless the dog is training, working or hunting. Article 23, defeated at the 2019 meeting, required that “dogs on town property must be leashed at all times”. The new language of the bylaw states, “The town requires that all dog owners keep their dogs under control at all times for the purpose of protecting people and animals from injury, protecting property from damage and preventing dog-related nuisances.” Protected lands, such as Buffam Falls Conservation Area, is not town-owned land. That may have led to the confusion among dog owners, who let animals run loose in the refuge. Other residents, walking the trails there, suffered more dog incidents than in the past, precipitating the stronger language for town bylaws. Thomann observed that some residents were in favor of the new deterrence measures, while others were not. He saw two possible causes for the disagreements. “A lot of people think they have voice control over their dogs, but it’s not true,” he said. “Some people mistake an overly friendly dog with an aggressive dog, so there’s that too.” Article 3 at the October 2021 meeting, which called for funding a dog patrol officer for $15,000 per year, was withdrawn. At a meeting of the Selectboard prior to the October 2021 Town Meeting, member David Shanahan talked about the problems he saw with the position. A Dog Patrol Officer paid $25 an hour would only work 11 hours weekly. The patrol officer would not be a calming presence because there is too much land in Pelham to oversee in so few hours. “So no, it’s not really true that you’ll run into someone on the trail,” Shanahan said. “I don’t see it being effective.” At that discussion, resident Bill Pula argued in favor of the patrol officer. He said of the stronger leash law, “If no one enforces it, it won’t matter … It’s an exercise in futility.” Thomann, speaking after the October 2021 vote strengthened the leash law, suggested that the patrol officer was still a possibility. He said, “That got postponed.” After more than two years exploring options, polling residents, enduring canine misbehavior and rewriting bylaws, the letter stated that the current version of the Code of Pelham did not reflect the changes to the bylaws passed in 2019. The “codifying process” had yet to be completed.