Residents can now have up to five dogs

NEW LONDON – Residents of the city of New London can now have up to five dogs or five cats or any combination of both, up to a total of five.

The New London Common Council approved amending the ordinance that specified the number of dogs and cats per household when it met Oct. 20. The previous ordinance specified that residents could have up to three dogs and two cats. Ald. Tim Roberts, Ald. Charlene Magolski, and Ald. Mike Barrington voted against approving the amended ordinance. 

Committee meeting

The New London Finance & Personnel Committee discussed the matter at its Oct. 7 meeting. The discussion centered around the potential ordinance change from three dogs and two cats to a total combination of five dogs and/or cats. Dogs would still need to be licensed, but cats are not licensed in the city.

Ald. Tim Roberts asked if the ordinance would apply to residents living in apartments, adding that there could be 30 animals in a six-plex apartment building.

New London City Administrator Chad Hoerth said that would be allowed if the landlord of the six-plex allowed pets.

“Landlords could have their own regulations of what they want, but potentially, yeah, because that’s individual households,” Hoerth said.

Ald. Bernie Ritchie Jr. asked why dogs require a license, but cats do not require a license.

Hoerth said he would have to research that.

“To me, it’s unfair to the dog owner,” Ritchie Jr. said.

New London Mayor Mark Herter said some citizens have expressed concerns about dog feces, as well as the smells of so many dogs, if this ordinance change were to be approved. Dogs becoming packs was also expressed as a concern.

“The more dogs you have, the pack becomes priority over the leadership of the human,” Herter said.

Ald. Charlene Magolski said five dogs in one place is too many.

Ald. Robert Besaw said he didn’t have an issue with the ordinance change allowing up to five dogs.

Herter acknowledged that more residents contacted him in favor of the ordinance change than those against the ordinance change.

Ald. David Dorsey said he agreed there needed to be a limit of how many total dogs and cats a resident has, but he didn’t think the city should dictate how many of each to have.

“I just don’t think we should be limiting somebody who wants to foster (dogs),” Dorsey said.

Ald. Mike Barrington said he was concerned about being out walking and coming upon someone trying to control five dogs on a leash.

Ald. John Faucher said there is not a city ordinance that currently prevents that scenario, as dog walkers can currently do that.

Other than fostering dogs, Dorsey said he does not think a lot of city residents would get up to five dogs.

Roberts reiterated that the city should not change the ordinance.

Magolski recommended that the city not change the ordinance. Instead, the city should allow the fostering of additional dogs.

Hoerth cautioned against that because it has been tried in the past and some residents tried to use it as a loophole to have more dogs.