Committee discusses dog license ordinance

NEW LONDON – The New London Finance & Personnel Committee has directed city staff to research the city’s dog license ordinance and present the committee with an ordinance at its October meeting that would allow a resident to have five licensed dogs.

The committee discussed the matter when it met Sept. 2. Currently, the city’s ordinance allows three dogs and two cats.

At the meeting, New London City Administrator Chad Hoerth told the committee that the city received a request from Deb Slosarek to change the dog licensing ordinance in the city’s municipal code.

Slosarek told the committee that she was making the request because she had the opportunity to adopt a nine-year-old dog who recently lost its home. But she already has three rescue dogs who were licensed with the city of New London.

“I discovered that’s not possible under the circumstances,” Slosarek said.

Slosarek said society is “overrun with stray animals, unhomed animals, foster animals” and it’s getting worse.

While Slosarek said the city’s current ordinance allows residents to have up to three dogs and two cats is “generous,” it doesn’t seem to fit the needs of residents. She said she was requesting the city to change the ordinance to allow up to five pets, which could be all dogs, all cats, or a combination that equals five.

“Those shelters are very, very, very overrun right now and I would like to see an opportunity for people in New London to maybe help that situation,” Slosarek said.

Ald. David Dorsey said he did not have a problem with the city allowing residents to have a total of five pets, whether they are dogs or cats.

Ald. Charlene Magolski suggested leaving the ordinance as it is, but allow residents to temporarily foster an animal for a certain amount of time.

Dorsey said it could be difficult to determine if an animal is being fostered or kept by a resident.

“What difference does it make what kind of animal they have?” Dorsey asked. “We just need to limit how many they can have in the house.”

New London Police Chief Josh Wilson was asked if the police department receives a lot of complaints about dogs barking.

Wilson said most dog barking complaints are repeat offenders.

“So, more based on the animal or the home than the number of animals,” Wilson said.

Ald. John Faucher said he has received several phone calls from residents who would like the city to change the ordinance to allow five pets, with no designation of dog or cat.   

Hoerth said the city isn’t ready to make a change to the ordinance, but the committee could direct staff to research the matter more for consideration at a future meeting.

Several committee members said they agreed with changing the ordinance to allow five pets with no designation of dogs or cats.

“We want to encourage people to do the right thing and respect life,” Faucher said. “Right now, the way our ordinance is, we’re encouraging people to kind of skirt the law to do the right thing. The right thing is to respect life. Do the right thing for your community.”

Magolski said she lived next to someone who had five dogs, and she said that is too many dogs because it is difficult to take care of that many dogs.