Residents Raise Dog Issues at City Council Meeting

Residents of Moultrie, a city in Georgia, located 4 hours away from Atlanta, have been facing a persistent problem for the last few months – the dogs in the neighborhood are increasingly becoming a threat to all other animals, including pets. This issue was even raised by some residents in the Moultrie City Council held last week.

Melanie Limbach, who owns and operates The Barber-Tucker House, 704 Third St. S.W. was one of the first residents who came forward to the council with this issue. According to her, the neighborhood dogs have killed 5 cats within a three-house radius in the last two months. And Limbach’s 14-year-old pet cat was among those five.

Another resident supported her statement, adding that the dogs have been behaving in a similar manner since the start of the year. The group of dogs living down the streets have thus turned into a nightmare for all the cat owners in the area.

Residents are afraid that the attacks of the dogs won’t be restricted to just animals. One resident said that the dogs may be harming animals in the neighborhood at present, but there isn’t any guarantee that they won’t turn towards attacking humans at some point. Therefore, the council needs to regard this as an urgent matter without delay to ensure the safety of the residents and their pets.

These residents have also made numerous calls to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society and the Moultrie Police Department to determine a solution to this problem.

The Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society itself is in a state of flux currently, which makes it unable to look into the issue actively. According to City Manager Pete Dillard, it is under reorganization at the moment. It is in the process of hiring a new director, who will be responsible for bringing in new staff. However, he added that they are working with the Thomasville-Thomas County Humane Society to address the issue.

The Moultrie Police Department, too, hasn’t been idle. According to Sean Ladson, the Chief of Police, the department is well aware of the issue and is working on solving this issue with assistance from the owner of the dogs. However, in case the plan isn’t effective, they may issue citations regarding the leash laws of the state. The chief has been asked by a city council member to monitor the situation closely and assist in finding a solution.
However, residents can also opt for legal action in case they suffer from an injury caused by the dogs. A reputable Georgia or Atlanta dog bite lawyer can provide assistance in filing a personal injury lawsuit to claim compensation from the dog owner.

This wasn’t the only action taken during the council meeting, though. The council gave its approval towards renewing its annual agreement with Cartegraph Systems LLC, which enables the public works department of the city to assign and monitor their work orders. The council further approved an amendment with ESG Operations Inc.

The first and second readings for amending the City of Moultrie’s alcohol ordinance were also unanimously passed by the council. This change, according to Pete Dillard, would increase the distance an establishment with alcohol has to maintain from any residential area from 50 to 100 feet. The amendment will be applicable not only to establishments with liquor, but also to those with beer and wine.

The amendment isn’t approved as of yet. It will only be approved after passing the third and final reading to be held at the next city council meeting, which is scheduled for October 18.