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Last updated on Tuesday, October 18, 2016
(ODON) - Odon Town Council members met for a special session Thursday afternoon to hear both sides of an ongoing issue about loose and barking dogs near the town’s park.
According to Odon Police Chief Jason Miller, in August his department received a call from an out-of-town complainant about dogs running loose in the city park.
According to the town's ordinance, owners must be given a warning and on the second offense the owners receive a $150 fine. That fine increased with each offense.
And that is what happened to the dog's owner Crystal Ritter after her neighbor Shelli Vaught, Ritter's two dogs had been running loose and keeping her awake at night with their constant barking.
The Washington Herald Times report on Oct. 5, the police department received another call from Vaught about the two dogs and Ritter was issued a $300 fine. The dogs were taken and held at the Washington Animal Control facility until the fines are paid. If Ritter pay the fines within the next two weeks, she will be able to retrieve her dogs. She must also provide proof of vaccinations to Odon Clerk-treasurer Beth Haseman and the animals must be registered. If she doesn't follow those procedures and the fines are not paid the dogs will be put up for adoption. She has until Oct. 29 to pay the fines and bring her animals home.
The Washington Herald Times reports, Ritter told council members Chuck Krieg and Carol Kryder she feels she is being targeted, because her dogs only go outside to potty and are kept inside at night, so she doesn't see how their barking is keeping Vaught up at night.
Vaught, whose property is roughly 50-feet from the dog pen claims Ritter is gone most of the night, leaving the dogs alone. Vaught also told the council that Ritter lives in a small camper on her property and the dogs, who are aggressive, are in the pen most of the time.
Since a town ordinance regarding animals is in place, the Washington Herald Times reports council members will continue to uphold the law.
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