Deb D’Andrea

4TheLuvOfDogz

Nederland

The other day there was a very lively conversation regarding dogs and letting your dog roam the streets of Nederland. There were people for letting dogs roam, people against letting dogs roam, people who didn’t want poop in their yard or street sides, and others who agreed having dogs on leashes or safely confined to their yards would be the safest for people and dogs overall.

Needless to say it was interesting to watch the conversation unfold and read comments from people who have lived here for over 30 years and people who just moved here.

As I didn’t know what the law was, I looked up Unincorporated Boulder County Dogs Running at Large and found a fourteen page document clearly defining several dog-related issues, including dogs running free – the document is at: http://www.bouldercounty.org/doc/publichealth/ordanimalcontrol.pdf.

Section 6 outlines Dogs Running at Large, and I’ll quote here, not to misspeak:

(A) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to fail to prevent the dog from running at large in the entire unincorporated area of Boulder County. Any dog off the owner’s premises or on private property without the permission of the property owner shall be under control as defined in Section 2(F) herein, inside a vehicle or similarly physically confined so that said dog is without access to passers-by. A dog is presumed to be at large if injury, damage or trespass has occurred even if said dog is under control.

I looked up the Town of Nederland Dog Regulations Info Sheet at:

http://nederlandco.org/nederland-pets, and it says:

All dogs are required to be leashed when they leave the property owner’s property. Leashes may not be longer than 6 feet. [N.M.C. 7-95(a)]

In Unincorporated Boulder County, the penalties assessed for Dog at Large First Offense is $45, Second Offense, $80; Third Offense, $120; with a Maximum Penalty of $1,000 if your dog is spayed or neutered. If they are not spayed or neutered, the fines double for Firstand Second Offense. The Town of Nederland penalties begin at $100.

Luckily for us here in this lovely community, most of us know whose dog is whose and will happily return them home should they be wandering; but personally, to me, the greatest penalty is if your dog isn’t allowed to return home to you and your family, if they are euthanized because of something they did while unattended; if they go missing or are abducted by a person for a reward, which just happened here; or are hit by a car or truck while roaming,never to be seen again.

I would be beside myself if anything were to happen to my Tiki and Bear; and while they are well behaved and lovely to be around, they are leashed when walking in town for their safety and my sanity.

I’m guessing the dog conversation will continue and wanted to share with you through this article what I found the law is and help keep our Dogs of Nederland safe and out of harm’s way.

Till next time…Deb D’Andrea, founder of 4TheLuvOfDogz, provides mobile Canine Massage, PawQuatics, Canine Agility and Petz Nanny Services. Her homemade dog treats are sold at local stores, and 4TheLuvOfDogz K9Birthday Cakes are available direct. Deb Petz Nanny’s for dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, etc. Contact Deb at 720-675-7078 or info@4theluvofdogz.com.