AA Co. animal control laws criticized

Baltimore Sun

Anne Pearson gives her collie, Siri, the run of the fenced-in yard. She says she always keeps watch from the window. At night, the dog sleeps in her bedroom.

But in the eyes of Anne Arundel County’s Animal Control, Pearson was a menace to her pet. And they threatened to take the dog away - unless she agreed to buy Siri a doghouse.

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County animal control officials say the law allows them to target animal abusers. Although they went to Pearson’s house three times, they eventually dropped the charges, and now say that her case is a rare example of the law being misapplied.

At the council meeting, they testified against Middlebrooks’ proposed change, which would require a shelter only if the dog is left outside when the owner is not home. The animal control officers said that changing the law will make it harder to determine which dogs are habitually left outside.

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Under state law, an owner has to provide shelter for a dog only if it is necessary, according to Deputy County Attorney David A. Plymyer, who said if a dog were outside on a nice day, it would not be a violation of that law. Anne Arundel, he added, takes the matter a step further, and requires that if a dog is confined outdoors, it must have a shelter.

Anne Arundel officials said that since 2005 they have issued 70 citations, which carry a $50 penalty for a first offense and up to $500 for three violations or more. They added that citations are only issued after several warnings and that officers determine appropriate penalties on a case-by-case basis.