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Cheektowaga police seek higher impound fees, kennel upgrades to meet new state rules
Summary
The police chief told the board the town must update its dog-impound rules and fees to comply with new New York State requirements, and proposed a new fee schedule to offset increased kennel and staffing costs.
Chief of Police Brian (surname redacted) and Lieutenant Brian Waslowski told the Town Board the town needs to amend Chapter 58, section 58-9 (impoundment) to reflect a forthcoming change in the New York State Agriculture & Markets Law that takes effect Dec. 15.
The chief said the new state requirements will increase the town's cost of caring for impounded dogs because they require an evaluation within two hours of intake, emergency services when needed (for example, cutting severe mats, vaccinations), increased enrichment (the chief cited about 20 minutes of out-of-kennel time per dog per day), quarantine space, larger containment, and changes to air handling and record-keeping. He told the board the shelter must also provide initial training for all caretakers within 60 days and annual training thereafter. "The law also requires for specific care of the dogs, requires evaluation within 2 hours of intake," the chief said.
To offset higher costs the department proposed revising the town's fee table. The proposed schedule discussed at the hearing included: no fee for first impound of a licensed dog (first impound free), higher fees for subsequent impounds, and for unlicensed dogs a proposed first-impound fee of $50, second $75, third $100, and $20 for each additional 24-hour hold or part thereof. The chief also said kennel licensing costs would be about $150 per year for a kennel operating in the town and noted local boarding/daycare market rates average $302 to $50 per day.
Board members asked operational questions: whether Lancaster/Lancaster-border pick-ups follow the same fee schedule, whether unlicensed owners would be required to license on the spot (the chief said licensing and fees are part of intake), and whether dogs licensed in other municipalities (for example, Buffalo) would be treated as licensed in Cheektowaga (the chief said a license from another municipality would be accepted as concurrent licensing). Gary Bork, a foster volunteer, urged the town to require at least a registration for foster dogs or a small one-time license fee so the pound could identify them.
The board closed the public hearing on the proposed amendment; no final adoption vote on the revised fee schedule and ordinance language was recorded at this meeting.
