Police outline Troy animal‑control rules and 2025 complaint statistics

Captain Burnside told Troy City Council the city’s animal‑control code focuses on leash rules in parks and the broader "at large" standard that governs animals off private property.

"In the city parks, all dogs or animals are required to be controlled by leashes, with the exception of the designated dog park area of Duke Park," Captain Burnside said, and he explained the city’s code definition: if an owner can demonstrate the animal is under control, it is not considered "at large." He said that in 2025 officers responded to over 400 animal‑related complaints and issued 30 citations; the majority of calls involve dogs running at large.

Burnside described routine officer practice: if an animal is contained and license/vaccination records are in order, the department typically reunites animals with their owners; animals that cannot be reunited are taken to the animal shelter. He also advised citizens to call 911 or the non‑emergency dispatch for animal‑control assistance and noted the county/state dog‑license lookup site (doglicenses.us) as an information resource.

Council members asked follow‑up questions about how the "at large" standard would operate if Troy adopted a universal leash law and how enforcement calls would be handled; Burnside said enforcement procedures would not change materially and that further discussion with the law director and public‑safety director would be appropriate.

The briefing closed with operational clarifications: examples of citation breakdowns, the department’s reunification approach, and contact numbers for reporting animals running at large.