Washington Park East Neighborhood Association

March 2005 - Pets

Apr 20, 2005

Please Be Neighborly When It Comes to Your Pets: In response to recent complaints, your neighbor association has been asked to remind pet owners that they should not let their dogs (or cats) run free on other neighbors?’ property. The Denver Municipal Code, Article II, Dogs and Cats, Sec. 8-16 Leash law states:
(a) It shall be unlawful for any owner, possessor or person who keeps any dog to permit the same to run at large.
(b) A dog shall be deemed to be running at large when:
(1) Not on the premises of the owner, possessor or keeper thereof and not controlled through use of a leash, cord or chain held by the dog's owner, possessor or keeper or an agent, servant or member of the immediate family thereof; or
(2) On the premises of the owner, possessor or keeper, but confined in such a way as to allow the dog to have access to the public right-of-way.
(c) It shall be the duty of the chief of police and all other police officers to see that a dog found running at large is taken up and impounded in the municipal animal shelter, and such dog may be so taken up without the necessity of filing a complaint and shall be impounded and disposed of in accordance with provisions of article VIII of this chapter.
(d) Any police officer, including special police, who is employed by the city is hereby authorized to issue a summons and complaint to any person when such officer personally observes a violation of the provisions of this section or when information is received from any person who has personal knowledge that an act or acts which are made unlawful by the provisions of this section have occurred.
As the weather gets warmer, windows are open, and dogs spend more time outside in the yard, barking becomes more of a problem. The owners are often unaware because nuisance barking frequently occurs when they are not at home. Sec. 8-46 Barking dog nuisance states: (a) It shall be unlawful for any owner, possessor or keeper of any dog to permit such dog to disturb any person or neighborhood by loud and persistent or habitual barking, howling or yelping. No summons and complaint shall be issued for any violation of this section unless there are at least two (2) or more complaining witnesses from separate households who have signed such complaint. In appropriate cases, as determined by the manager of the department of environmental health or their designee, any animal control officer or police officer who has personally investigated the complaint of a single complainant, and observed problem behavior of the dog with regard to its loud and persistent or habitual barking, howling or yelping, may be the second complaining witness.
And finally, our reminder wouldn?’t be complete if we didn?’t mention poop. Section 8-47. Disposition of excrement states: It shall be unlawful for any person who possesses, harbors or is in charge of any dog, cat or other animal not to immediately remove excrement deposited by the animal upon a common thoroughfare, street, sidewalk, play area, park or upon any private property when permission of the owner or tenant if the property has not been obtained, and such is hereby deemed to be a public nuisance and prohibited. Dog, cat or other animal excrement shall not be placed in storm sewers, but may be placed in trash containers if contained in a closed plastic bag or other closed airtight nonporous container.
Thanks for being a good neighbor.