Published: April 22, 2008 11:20 pm      

Beckley considering limit of three dogs, three cats — period

Beckley city residents will only be allowed to keep three dogs and three cats — period — if city officials tighten a current ordinance.

Bob Cannon, the city’s chief zoning officer, said the city’s current pet ownership ordinance allows residents to have no more than three dogs and no more than three cats, total, outside their homes or inside accessory buildings. This affects those living in residential or office/residential zones. However, a loophole has allowed them to keep as many domestic pets inside their homes as they want — just as long as only three of each go outside.

Cannon said that most of the time, the animals — no matter the number — are both inside and outside people’s homes.

During Tuesday’s Beckley Common Council meeting, Cannon said city officials are considering amending the current ordinance. This will only allow residents to keep three cats and three dogs — period.

If the amended ordinance passes, Cannon said violators could face a $1,000 fine — per day.

“I understand people love dogs,” Cannon said. “But, it’s also important that there’s going to be an impact on our neighbors. In the city, people live very close together.”

The measure will first be discussed by the city’s planning commission during its May 6 meeting, Cannon said. Planning commissioners, if they would approve, would have to then send it to council members for a first reading. If a first reading passed, a public hearing would have to be conducted before council members could vote on it.

According to both Cannon and Mayor Emmett Pugh, this comes after the city has handled numerous complaints about some residents having extremely large numbers of pets. Some of these pet owners, they say, have caused grief for their neighbors with noise from barking dogs and the smell of feces coming from their properties. Cannon said he receives about five complaints about dogs per day.

One Russell Street resident came to the council meeting Tuesday, saying his neighbor had 20 dogs. Pugh said the city once dealt with a woman who kept 70-80 cats inside her home.

“Your neighbors probably love dogs and love cats, too. But 20?” he asked.

“...Technically, you can have (several animals) inside, as long as you have no more than three outside. It needs to be changed. Evidently, that’s just not working.’

“...If you want that many pets, you need a big piece of land out in the county. Some of our lots are only 50-100 feet wide.”

Pugh commended those who keep several animals at their home to rescue them. However, having large numbers of animals in a small area is detrimental to the animals’ well-beings, too.

In other matters:

-- Council members approved an ordinance authorizing the design and construction of a city sewer improvement project, estimated to cost around $9 million. Luke Richmond, general manager of the Beckley Sanitary Board, said the city will first borrow $1 million from Chase to get the project started this summer. The rest will be borrowed from the state revolving fund and at zero percent interest. The city has a $970,000 federal grant and is trying for a $1.5 million Small Cities Block Grant. This project will include replacing pipes, building a new maintenance garage and extending service to the Red Brush area.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com