Dog owners in Nettleton reminded to register their pets with city
Ordinance seeks to control stray dog population and make it easier to reunite dogs with their owners
NETTLETON, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a problem facing cities and towns of all sizes. Dogs running loose on city streets.
“We had a lot of strays in Nettleton. The mayor and councilman were trying to get that taken care of,” said Officer Jason Lessel.
Lessel is one of two animal control officers for the town of Nettleton. Lessel helped Nettleton draft its dog ordinance, similar to one in Plantersville, which he also helped put on the books.
The ordinance said that every dog, whether inside or outside, must be registered. The $5 fee covers a tag for the dog and paperwork. Nettleton already has a leash law, and Lessel said this will help when a dog gets out of its house, or yard.
“I’ve already picked up three dogs that had the tags and was able to take them back home, instead of taking them to the shelter, and going through that whole process, ‘Where’s my dog, I can take it straight home, say, here’s your dog, make sure you keep it tied up and on your property,” Officer Lessel said.
Each tag is numbered, and the number, and the dog’s owner, are recorded at City Hall.
Dogs without the tag are typically sent to the Tupelo Lee Humane Society after a day or two.
Officer Lessel said the goal is to know which dogs belong to someone, and which are strays.
The city is doing all it can to inform residents of the dog ordinance and a deadline of March 31. After that, the fee increases.
After March 31, a $25 late fee will be added to the price of registration.
