OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) –
The Ottumwa Police Department reports, their animal control department is busier than ever, averaging 6 animal calls per day.
So far this year, the Ottumwa Police department has picked up 224 dogs. 96 of those dogs were not claimed and moved into animal shelters.
Other stats: 88 of those 224 dogs did not have a certified rabies shot. 45 of those 224 dogs were Pitbulls which are outlawed in Ottumwa city limits.
Officer Jeff Williams runs Animal Control by himself. He says in recent years, the number of owners licensing their dogs has dramatically decreased.
Williams said, “the whole purpose of this license is if we pick your dog up running loose and it has a tag on it, we scan the tag. Then, we can contact the owner saying, ‘hey we have your dog down the street can you come get it?’.”
The law states owners must license their dogs after four months. Tags cost $10 for a spayed/neutered dog and $15 if they are not spayed or neutered (if you pay in January). But if you pay on or after February 1st of each year, the price increases. $15 for a spayed/neutered dog and $25 for an un-spayed/neutered.
Police Records show, back in 2011 and 2012 2,996 tags were issued. Last year, the number of tags issued was 1,310. Thats less than half.
But Officer Williams thinks, since he is seeing more animal calls, more people should be registering their dogs but, that is not the case.
Williams said, “we’re having a lot of problems with people having several dogs when they can’t take care of one. That’s where people get in trouble a lot.”
At the Ottumwa Bark Park off of 34 west, I met Frankie and her owner Ken Bergmeier. Frankie was sporting her city tag and Bergmeier wants to be prepared if Frankie takes off.
Bergmeier said, “every once in a while, they’ll try to sneak out and it happens.”
Bergmeier wishes people would stop treating animals like just something they have around. He said, “they don’t treat them like a pet or like a member of the family. Which is what we do with Frankie. They’re part of the family not just a possession.”
Bergmeier said he agrees with most of the city’s rules on dogs. But he thinks people need to consider the costs of an animal before they bring one home.
“If you’re going to get one, and have it be a part of the family, you have to treat it as such,” said Bergmeier.
Both officer Williams and Bergmeier believe it people thought about their finances before bringing home fido, they think there would be fewer issues with strays in Ottumwa.
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