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Council authorizes civil forfeiture letters for 587 unlicensed dogs in 4-3 vote
Summary
After discussion about outreach and process, the Bedford Town Council authorized the town clerk and animal control officer to send civil forfeiture letters and collect $25 fines for 587 unlicensed dogs; the motion passed 4-3 under RSA 466:14.
Town Clerk Bill Carter told the Bedford Town Council that 587 dogs remained unlicensed in town and that state law (RSA 466:14) requires annual licensing by April 30 and sets deadlines for civil forfeiture letters and fines. The deadline to pay the $25 civil forfeiture fine was set as July 6, 2026.
Councilors debated whether the process and outreach could be improved — including online registration, working with veterinarians to prompt registration, extended Town Clerk hours, and timing registration with other transactions — but they also acknowledged the statutory timeline laid out by RSA 466:14. Councilor John Bator moved to authorize the town clerk and animal control officer to send civil forfeiture letters and collect fines; Councilor Laura Fahey seconded. The roll-call vote was 4-3 (Fahey, Bator, Soule, Levesque in favor; Strand, Sullivan, Greazzo opposed) and the motion passed.
Town Clerk Carter noted the clerks’ office effort to notify owners by multiple mailings and said he would work with BCTV and social media to increase outreach. Chairman Phil Greazzo criticized the law as outdated, saying “It’s a ridiculous law that needs to be dealt with in the 21st century,” while several councilors suggested pursuing legislative changes through the town delegation.
