Streamwood to limit number of pets, impose leash law
The potential dog and cat population of Streamwood is likely to drop dramatically in February.
Though today each and every resident of the village technically can own three such non-caged pets themselves, trustees Thursday discussed reducing the number to three per household.
At their next meeting Feb. 7, trustees also intend to enact the village's first leash law for all pets not on their owner's property.
A recent review of the village's codes revealed the need to tighten the language in these areas to better reflect what was intended all along, Village Manager Gary O'Rourke said.
For instance, the current code states only that a pet off its own property must be "under the control" of its owner, even if that control is by voice only, O'Rourke said.
The proposed revision would require all pets to be on a leash no more than 8 feet long when off their own premises and likely to be around strangers.
Though some retractable leashes are sold with lengths as long as 25 feet, the use of any more than 8 feet would be considered a violation of the ordinance, O'Rourke said.
Much of the board members' discussion of the revisions involved exemptions to the pets-per-household law.
As written, the ordinance exempts new litters up to 4 months old as well as fish and small caged birds or amphibians.
Trustee William Carlson was concerned by the inclusion of the word "small," not because he wanted to broaden the exemptions, but because it might be used too broadly as a defense.
"If I say this is a small elephant, it's still pretty big," Carlson said.
He didn't believe exotic pets such as snakes should be exempt from the limitations of the ordinance just because they live near water or in very large cages. And he didn't want their owners to be able to argue about their relative size to get them off the hook.
Village staff members intend to make some language revisions to the ordinance so that both changes to Streamwood's animal control regulations can be ready for the village board's vote on Feb. 7.
O'Rourke said police enforcement of the regulations will be based almost entirely on responding to complaints.