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Council hears repeated reports of dogs chasing, harassing and biting residents; staff outline enforcement options
Summary
Staff described multiple incidents where loose dogs chased joggers, harassed a woman with a stroller and bit a resident; certified letters were returned and the sheriff's office had limited success contacting the owners, so staff recommended pursuing legal remedies if owners remain unresponsive.
Council members on July 9 heard detailed reports from staff about repeated animal-control incidents in Orangeville, including multiple aggressive encounters attributed to the same properties.
Staff described specific incidents: dogs were “seen chasing the jogger down” and later “harassing a lady pushing a stroller,” and one dog reportedly bit a resident, producing a photograph of the bite. Staff told the council certified notification had been returned to sender and that the sheriff’s office knocked on the owners’ door without a response.
Why it matters: multiple reports of loose or aggressive dogs raise public-safety concerns for pedestrians, children and cyclists and place the city in a position of enforcing local code or seeking court remedies to protect residents.
Staff said enforcement options under city code include additional warnings, impoundment or seeking a court order if owners remain uncooperative. One staff member said they have been transparent about the process and that the two main options are to require owners to remove the animals from city limits or proceed with court action to compel compliance.
Council members asked about the timeline and recent incidents; staff said the most recent reported incident occurred the previous Wednesday but that the problem is ongoing. Staff asked the council to authorize pursuing legal remedies if owners continue to ignore notices.
Next steps: staff will continue enforcement actions (warnings and sheriff contact) and recommended escalating to court order or impoundment if owners do not engage. The council did not record a formal vote on a new ordinance; the discussion focused on enforcement of existing code provisions.
