City of Glens Falls, NY Dogs

Person entitled to claim lawful custody and possession of a dog who is responsible for purchasing the license for such dog unless the dog is or has been lost, and such loss was promptly reported to the Animal Control Officer and a reasonable search has been made. If a dog is not licensed, the term owner shall designate and cover any person or persons, firm, association or corporation who or which at any time owns or has custody or control of, harbors or is otherwise responsible for any dog which is kept, brought or comes within the City. Any person owning or harboring a dog for a period of one week prior to filing any complaint charging a violation of this article, shall be held and deemed to be the owner of such dog for the purpose of this article. In the event that the owner of any dog found to be in violation of this article shall be under 18 years of age, the head of the household in which said minor resides shall be deemed to have custody and control of said dog and shall be responsible for any acts of said dog in violation of this article.

§ 91-22 License required.

[Amended 9-28-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

All dogs in the City of Glens Falls must be licensed with the City Clerk by the age of four months. Owners are required to present a current certificate of rabies vaccination at the time of licensing or the renewal of an existing license.

All dog licenses will be for a period of one year and will expire at the end of the month one year from the date of issue.

§ 91-23 Dogs in heat.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

It shall be the duty of the owner or person harboring any female dog to confine such dog during the period when it is in heat inside the house of such owner or person in possession of the dog.

§ 91-24 Running at large.

[Amended 4-6-1995]

No dog, whether licensed or unlicensed, muzzled or not muzzled, shall be allowed to run at large in any street, sidewalk, lane or public place unless said dog is effectively restrained by a chain or leash, not exceeding six feet in length, affixed to the collar or harness of the dog.

§ 91-25 Defecation on public property; noisy and annoying dogs.

[Amended 8-1-1996 by L.L. No. 2-1996]

It shall be unlawful for any owner of any dog to permit or allow such dog to create a nuisance by defecating on public property within the City of Glens Falls, or the private property of any property owner within the City of Glens Falls, unless such defecation is immediately removed by the dog's owner.

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor or maintain any dog which engages in unduly loud howling or barking habitually or conducts itself in such a manner as to unduly annoy any person other than the owner.

§ 91-26 Complaints; summonses.

Any person who observes a dog causing damage or destruction to the property of a person other than its owner or committing a nuisance upon the premises of a person other than its owner or running at large or otherwise violating the provisions of this article, may file a signed complaint, under oath, with the Animal Control Officer specifying the objectionable conduct of the dog, the date thereof, the damage caused, a description of dog and the name and residence, if known, of the owner or other person harboring said dog.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

Upon receipt of a complaint, the City Court may summon the alleged owner or other person harboring said dog to appear in person before the City Court. If the summons is disregarded, the City Court may permit the filing of an information and issue a warrant for the arrest of such person.

§ 91-27 Complaints of dangerous dogs.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

Any person who is chased or otherwise harassed by any dog in such a manner as reasonably to cause intimidation or to put such person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm or injury or any person who witnesses such offensive conduct by any dog may file a signed complaint in accordance with § 121 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, under oath, with the Animal Control Officer, stating the specific objectionable conduct of the dog, the date thereof and the place of occurrence and a description of the dog and name and residence, if known, of the person harassed and the owner or other person harboring said dog; or, in the alternative, the person so harassed by a dog may file with the City Court any information charging a violation of this article.

§ 91-28 Notice of complaint.

Where a complaint has been filed or an information has or dogs of bodily harm or injury, the City Court shall cause notice of such complaint and the general nature thereof to be served upon the alleged owner or other person claimed to be harboring said dog, and the City Court may summon the alleged owner or other person claimed to be harboring said dog to appear before the City Court. If the summons is disregarded, the City Court may permit the filing of an information and issue a warrant for the arrest of such person.

§ 91-29 Hearing.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

Where a complaint has been filed or an information has been filed charging a violation of any of the provisions of this article, the City Judge shall hold a hearing, in accordance with § 121 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, thereon, and if satisfied, after inquiry into and investigation of the charge that the dog's conduct was offensive and in violation of this article, then the City Judge may order the owner or other person harboring said dog to confine the dog to the premises of the owner for a period of time in his discretion or impose the penalties set forth in § 91-34 of this article.

§ 91-30 Seizure.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

Any dog found at large and not under effective restraint or in the immediate custody and control of the owner or a responsible person who is over 12 years of age, as required by § 91-24, may be seized by any duly appointed Animal Control Officer, peace officer or duly authorized officer or representative of the City of Glens Falls or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and confined and impounded. Any dog so found at large not under effective restraint, which cannot be safely seized, may be destroyed by such Animal Control Officer, peace officer or other duly authorized officer.

§ 91-31 Impoundment and redemption; destruction.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

Any dog impounded under the provisions of this article shall be confined in accordance with the provisions of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York and may be redeemed by the owner or harborer thereof upon payment to the City Clerk of Glens Falls of a local fee and those sums set forth in the Agriculture and Markets Law. Any dog not so redeemed shall, at the option of the Animal Control Officer, be destroyed by the Animal Control Officer or peace officer. All proceedings shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Original § 38-14, violation constitutes disorderly conduct, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997.

§ 91-32 Guide dogs and other service dogs exempt from license fees

[Amended 9-28-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

The City of Glens Falls shall exempt from its licensing fees any guide dog, hearing dog, service dog, war dog, working search dog, detection dog, police work dog or therapy dog. Each copy of any license for such dogs shall be conspicuously marked "Guide Dog," "Hearing Dog," "Service Dog," "War Dog," "Working Search Dog,” "Detection Dog," "Police Work Dog" or "Therapy Dog," as may be appropriate, by the City Clerk or authorized Dog Control Officer.

§ 91-33 Fees.

[Added 9-19-1979; amended 3-12-1985; 5-5-1987 by Res. No. 91; 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997; 9-28-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

The annual fee for a spayed or neutered dog will be $5, which, under state law, includes the assessment of a surcharge of $1 for the purpose of carrying out the New York State Animal Population Control Fund.

The annual fee of an unspayed or unneutered dog will be $13 which, under state law, includes the assessment of a surcharge of $3 for the purpose of carrying out New York State Animal Population Control Fund.

The annual fee for a purebred license will be $25, $50 or $100, depending upon the number of registered purebred dogs or purebred dogs eligible for registration over the age of four months harbored on the premises at the time of application. In addition, a surcharge of $1 will be assessed for a spayed/neutered dog, and a surcharge of $3 will be assessed for an un-spayed/un-neutered dog, for the purpose of carrying out New York State Animal Population Control Fund for each purebred dog licensed.

The fee for a lost license tag will be $3.

The City of Glens Falls, per § 91-32, will not charge a fee for guide dogs and other service dogs.

All dog licenses may be purchased by visiting the City Clerk's office or by mail. If licensing or renewing a license by mail, the appropriate fee(s) must accompany the forms. There will be no refund of fees.

All fees will be used in funding the administration of the Dog Control Law of the City of Glens Falls. All fees may be reviewed by the Glens Falls Common Council periodically and may be changed by Common Council legislation, if deemed necessary.

Seizure and impoundment fees shall be as follows:

[Amended 1-28-2020 by Res. No. 29]

(1)

For the first impoundment of any dog: $10 for the first day, plus room and boarding charges of $20 for each additional day.

(2)

For the second impoundment of any dog owned by a person whose dog is seized within one year of the first impoundment: $20 for the first day, plus room and boarding charges of $20 for each additional day.

(3)

For the third impoundment of any dog owned by a person whose dog is seized within one year of the first impoundment: $30 for the first day, plus room and boarding charges of $20 for each additional day. First-day impoundment fees for subsequent impoundments within one year of first impoundment shall each increase by $10.

Impoundment fees for stray dogs shall be in conformance with the rates set forth in the current agreement between the City of Glens Falls and the Countryside Veterinary Hospital.

Euthanasia and transport fees, fees for cremation based upon weight and spay/neuter fees for dogs not euthanized are solely determined by Countryside Veterinary Hospital and payable to Countryside Veterinary Hospital.

§ 91-34 Penalties for offenses.

[Amended 7-12-1983]

Any person violating the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not more than $250 or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 15 days, or both.

[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997]

Each day or part thereof that the violation is permitted, including days during which a dog is at large or confined to the pound, shall constitute a separate offense, and said fine or penalty shall be in addition to any redemption fee hereinabove provided for.

Upon presentation of proof of payment of the fine or penalty, the pound is authorized to release any dog impounded to its owner or harborer after its receipt of the redemption fee noted in § 91-31 above.