Borough Dog Laws to Be Discussed July 9

Doylestown Borough’s ordinance governing pets is outdated, officials say, and the town’s Community and Governmental Affairs Committee is working to update it.

The committee will discuss updating the borough’s pet ordinance at its next meeting, which will be held July 9 at 6 p.m. at Borough Hall.

Borough Council President Det Ansinn explained during a meeting Monday that the current ordinances governing pets “have not been touched in a while.”  

The borough is looking to update laws pertaining to waste pickup, tethering and other ways to improve both the quality of life for residents and pets, Ansinn explained. 

Council member David Laustsen said he was pleased the Community and Governmental Affairs Committee was looking into the ordinance.  

“I applaud the committee for doing something about it,” Laustsen said. “The first day I was out campaigning for this job, the first person I talked to said to me, 'Will you please get rid of the dog poop and stop all of this barking?'” 

Three residents at Monday’s Council meeting commented on the issue. “A month is really too long to wait” to do something about excessive barking, one resident said.

Doylestown Borough Manager John Davis said there are already laws on the books that prohibit excessive barking. If a resident experiences an issue with persistent barking, he or she should contact Borough Police, he said.