McCandless ordinance requires dog owners to control their pets in public

McCandless officials are asking pet owners to be more responsible with their dogs.

Pet should be leashed in public areas and cleaned up after, as stated in an ordinance passed during the Sept. 8 McCandless Council meeting.

“There had been concern in a few neighborhoods about dogs that had been leaving their property and causing issues. There had also been a lack of general rules for dogs in the parks so we decided to formalize the rules,” said John Schwend, manager of McCandless.

The ordinance states it is unlawful for dogs to run at large on public or private property in the town. Dog owners are responsible for controlling their dogs in public, cleaning up after them and keeping them on a leash in public or in a public right-of-way.

Dogs also must be contained to their owner’s property. Dogs running at large can be seized or detained by police according to the Pennsylvania Dog Law.

Owners can let their dogs loose in designated off-leash areas as long as the owners have a visible leash. Owners must be in verbal control of their pets, according to the ordinance.

Dogs also must be properly licensed and vaccinated in dog parks and on public property. And dog owners shall not use a leash that is longer than 10 feet.

Any provisions of the law that would interfere with guide dogs, or dogs used by emergency personnel, would not apply. This also applies to the town limits that lie within North Park, which offers two off-leash areas.

Violations, if convicted, could incur up to a 30-day imprisonment or a fine not to exceed $600.

The effective date is not immediate, but 10 days after the advertisement that the ordinance has passed.

There was a public comment on whether the 10-foot leash was too long. President Jason Singer said the council can always revisit the specifics of the ordinance if needed.

“We could come back and take a look at it if it requires it,” Singer said.

Change to solicitation

Council also passed changes to an ordinance regarding transient vendors, known as solicitors.

Singer said they “heard a lot from our constituents” regarding solicitors.

“In general, people do not want solicitors, (or) transient vendors, to come to their homes,” Schwend said.

The town must allow solicitors with proper identification and permitting.

Changes include the hours that are permitted, now between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and the creation of a no-solicitation list. The former ordinance allowed until sunset.

Residents can have their address added to a no-solicitation list, and that list will be distributed to anyone registering as a transient vendor, Schwend said.

“In addition, the town will publish a current list on our website of anyone who has an active solicitation permit in the town. This will be helpful because residents can see if the person who is soliciting has the proper permit,” he said.