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Independent Voices

It’s a fact of life that your freedom to keep an animal ends where your pet infringes on my privacy or harasses livestock or wildlife. As populations increase, we can no longer count on people keeping pets under control, so government must do so.

Garfield County has reached the point where dogs not only annoy neighbors but also may be a danger to kids, adults and other animals. Animal control in our ever-increasingly-populated rural areas is necessary, and we must accept it as part of growth.

I recognize there are some serious deficiencies in Garfield County’s animal code, but I don’t think this proposal is the answer. How on earth would the county go about enforcing the licensing and vaccination requirements?



Limiting all households to one dog also seems problematic. Changes in code should focus on identified problem areas, and leave the rest alone.

Battlement Mesa was literally “going to the dogs” until “there was a new sheriff in town.” Aimee Chappelle, animal control officer, has done a terrific job solving many of the dog problems here.



The County Commissioners should help in any way they can. Responsible pet owners should not have to pay the price for irresponsible ones, but that’s the way it is.

An hour is too long to listen to an annoying barking dog before it is reported. Otherwise, I think Garfield County’s proposed pet rules are a good thing.


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