Will Animal Cruelty Become Illegal in Doylestown?

By Tom Coombe

Leaving your dog locked in a hot car is a pretty inhumane thing to do.

But pretty soon, it could also be a violation of Doylestown law.

Borough council is expected to vote later this month on a new animal ordinance that—among other things—gives Doylestown it’s own animal cruelty law. 

“Prior to this, we relied on the state standard,” said borough manager John Davis.

“It’s a bit more strict. It would cover, amongst other things, leaving animals in vehicles under inhumane conditions.” 

The borough’s Community and Governmental Affairs Committee discussed the ordinance Thursday night. It will go before the full council August 19.

The ordinance also mandates that dog owners who keep their animals tethered do so in a fashion that keeps them from choking and gives them access to food and water.

Davis said the committee backed away from a section of the ordinance that would have kept dogs inside in extreme hot or cold weather, but ultimately decided to let the state’s existing law take care of that issue.

In addition to sections devoted to helping animals, there are also parts of the ordinance meant to make life better for humans, including regulations for noise and animal waste disposal.

Davis said council is also getting rid of an old dog ordinance that dates back to the 1950s, which allowed police to destroy strays, or sell them for profit.

“There was a gasp of horror from the audience when that was read,” he said.