New Dog Laws With Sizable Fines Introduced in East Fishkill

The Town of East Fishkill, New York has made some changes to its local dog laws to support responsible animal ownership throughout the town.

At one time or another neighborhoods across the Hudson Valley have to deal with some sort of issue when it comes to dogs and their owners. Some neighborhoods deal with dogs that bark all the time, others have a dog that can be aggressive and some have a few houses that have way too many dogs than any house should have. Whatever the issue might be one Hudson Valley town has seen a rise in dog problems and in an attempt to curb recent issues, they have introduced new dog laws that owners need to follow, along with hefty fines for those that break the law.

Dog Laws in East Fishkill, New York

According to the East Fishkill Town Board, the town has introduced a few amendments to the town code to support responsible animal ownership. The changes to "Chapter 63" (Animals) include a new section named 63-5(H) which will make it unlawful for anyone with a dog to be at any park on Town of East Fishkill property unless the owner is a resident of the Town of East Fishkill and the dog has a valid license.

SEE ALSO: End of Watch: Dutchess County Deputy Sheriff Has Passed Away

Currently, the cost of a dog license in East Fishkill, New York is $9.00 for a dog that has been altered and $19.00 otherwise according to the East Fishkill Town Clerk. All dogs in town over the age of 4 months must be vaccinated for rabies and must be licensed. All dog licenses are good for one year and expire in the month one year from the date of issue.

The town also introduced new guidelines the town will follow when it comes to the seizure of a dog or dogs. Amendments to "Section 63-7" include giving the dog control officer or local police the right to seize any dog(s) that's unlicensed on or off the owner's property, any dog not wearing a tag not on the owner's premises. The town's full code on dog seizures can be found here.

Dog Fines in East Fishkill, NY

Any person who is convicted of violating the license laws will be liable for a civil penalty of $25 for a first violation, $50 for a second violation, and $75 for each subsequent violation according to ECode360.

East Fishkill Limits Number of Dogs Per House

The town is also adding another new section to Chapter 63, labeled "Section 6" and it says that the town will have a maximum number of dogs allowed on a property. A lot of any size can have up to 3 dogs, a lot of at least 2 acres can have 4, at least 5 acres can have 5 and 10 or more acres can have 6 or more. Any violation of this chapter can result in fines not to exceed $350 for the 1st offense, $700 for the second offense, and $1,000 and or up to 15 days in jail for each subsequent offense.

These local laws will take after immediately after the town files with the Secretary of State.