TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Some city leaders want less bark and more bite for Toledo’s dog regulations. They say right now, there is some confusion among the public about how to get results when they are having problems with dogs.
“Left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, nobody’s responsible and our constituents have no resolution to their dog complaint,” said Council Member Adam Martinez during a city council meeting.
Martinez has been talking with constituents who have had consistent problems with their neighbor’s large number of dogs.
In trying to find a solution, city council requested the plan commission look into the possibility of a dog limit for people living in Toledo. Planners found there was no reason to instate a limit, but instead pointed to other policies that need attention.
The plan commission found there are seven different agencies that oversee dogs in Toledo. Each has its own specialty, from noise to dog bites to animal cruelty.
The agencies and their roles are as follows:
- Lucas County Auditor’s Office: oversees licensing and registration of dogs and dog kennels
- Lucas County Canine Care and Control: oversees stray dogs, investigates dog bites, investigates and confirms valid dog licenses, and handles nuisance, dangerous and vicious dogs
- Toledo Code Compliance: oversees destruction to property, junk, debris, or excessive waste caused by dogs
- Toledo Humane Society: oversees investigating animal cruelty and neglect
- Toledo Lucas County Health Department: oversees dog bite reports and refers them to Lucas County Canine Care and Control
- Toledo Plan Commission: oversees animal-related zoning codes for animal shelters, dog run, exercise area, fully enclosed animal shelters and kennels, kennels, sales and grooming, and veterinary
- Toledo Police Department: oversees noise complaint investigations and citations, assists Lucas County Canine Care and Control when it is after their hours
Representatives from these agencies have noted that it can be confusing for the public, but the roles are clearly defined by the Ohio Revised Code and other documents.
“People get confused as to what we do, at Lucas County Canine Care and Control, vs what the Humane Society does, or they think that we are the same entity,” said Cassie Bloomfield, the outreach coordinator for LC4.
Bloomfield said the agency directs callers to the proper agency if LC4 does not oversee their question or complaint.
Toledo Planner Lisa Karcher noted that when the plan commission spoke to all of the different agencies, the commission found residents were confused about where to bring their dog complaint, especially because complaints can relate to multiple areas and require multiple agencies.
“Talking to all the agencies, they all brought up really good suggestions about needing to have after-hours, weekends people available, making sure the public knows, all the agencies know, who does what,” Karcher said. “Making sure the public is aware of that, putting some more teeth into our regulations would be a good thing.”
Martinez said he was looking for data about the variety of dog complaints in Toledo, but found the different complaints were not distinguished from each other.
He said he spoke to Engage Toledo, and active right now, people can report all dog complaints to the agency.
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