JASPER, Tenn. — Some Marion County residents believe the problems with unleashed dogs are getting out of control.
Speaking to the Marion County Commission at its December meeting, Dewayne Griffith said he and the residents in his Nickajack Circle neighborhood don’t feel safe walking down the street.
“We’ve got a bad problem with dogs running around the neighborhood attacking people and trapping them in their houses,” he said. “It’s scary, but I’m not really concerned for myself. One of my neighbors has two small children. A kid could make one of them mad for no reason, and [the dog] could attack them.”
Griffith said he has called the police at least twice when unleashed dogs have harassed him, but little has been done.
“They had no idea what to do,” he said. “They did send a county officer out, and he tried to get in touch with the owner and give him a citation. He couldn’t get in get in touch with him.”
Since there is no leash law in Marion County, the issue reverts back to state law, officials said.
“What [the state law] says is it is a criminal offense,” Marion County Attorney Billy Gouger said. “It starts as a Class C misdemeanor and it can go all the way up to a Class C felony, depending on the severity of the situation. It is an offense that can be charged in General Sessions Court.”
Marion County Sheriff Ronnie “Bo” Burnett said the issue of roaming dogs and cats is becoming a big problem, but the county doesn’t have a facility to hold animals.
Gouger said the law doesn’t require an unleashed animal to be seized, and he plans to meet with the sheriff and his deputies to talk to them about enforcement of the law.
“I think this is going to be an ongoing problem,” County Commissioner Les Price said. “It’s probably going to be an expensive problem, and we’re going to have to address it at some point.”
“We just want to get something in place for the county residents to make the neighborhood safer,” Griffith said. “We want people not to be scared to walk with their pets in the neighborhood.”
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.