LAKEWOOD, Ohio — News 5 is following through on a story we first told you about in December involving a home on Waterbury Road in Lakewood where police rescued more than 40 beagles living in what has been described as uninhabitable conditions.
Because of this situation – the city plans to take action against those who keep breaking the law.
“Having noise constantly all day is not fun, especially when it’s your own apartment building,” said Lakewood resident and pet owner Leokade Hollen.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
An existing barking dog ordinance in Lakewood will soon see some changes, all to keep the community and pets safe.
“My hope is that this new ordinance really helps us to be able to hold people accountable,” said Lakewood City Council President John Litten.
The reason for the update to this ordinance is because of the home on Waterbury Road.
Back in December, police rescued more than 40 dogs living in what they describe as an uninhabitable condition.
Now, the city of Lakewood is stepping up with enhanced repercussions.
“Just want our law enforcement really to be able to have more at their disposal to be able to really help a situation that we’ve seen in Lakewood from time to time,” said Litten.
Litten told News 5 the situation inside the Waterbury home had been a known issue.
But he says the city couldn’t do anything about it.
“It just made me sad,” said Litten. “To think about having an issue that you knew about and were really unable to really do enough about to help a situation is just sad.”
The rollout of the updated dog ordinance will take place over the next several months.
Litten says if a person receives a single violation, it will continue to be charged as a minor misdemeanor.
But for repeat offenders, the law has more teeth, and if a pet owner is cited three times in one year, the charges get more severe.
“If your neighbor is one of those offenders, it gives us the ability to get into that home quicker and sooner and take action,” said Lakewood Mayor Meghan George.
Still, people like Hollen – who supports the city’s decision – tell News 5 that pet owners have to take responsibility too.
“My dog, he’s very mouthy. But when he was barking when I was gone for work, I put in the money, and I bought him a citronella spray collar so that he wouldn’t bark anymore, like, you need to be responsible for your animals,” said Hollen.
