As Cazenovia residents spend more time outdoors enjoying the summer weather, many choose to do so with their canine companions.

Following an incident with an unlicensed, unvaccinated dog reportedly attacking a young child in the village of Cazenovia, officials of both the town and the village wish to remind residents: license dogs and keep them properly controlled.

“We all love our dogs, but it’s imperative that residents take full responsibility for them,” said Cazenovia Village Mayor Kurt Wheeler. “We’ve had a spike in complaints about dogs and their owners not abiding by established laws recently; from persistent barking, to leaving messes in other peoples’ yards to people being bitten. It all comes down to safety and courtesy foremost. All dogs must be vaccinated and licensed with the town of Cazenovia and owners should take care to control them, monitor them and clean up after them appropriately.”

All dogs in Cazenovia need to have identification and be licensed with the town. The proper vaccinations are required, as well as documentation to prove the animal is up-to-date. Wheeler said the town and village have begun a review of all the applicable state and local laws regarding unlicensed animals and will be placing an emphasis on rigorous enforcement of them going forward.

Dangerous dogs can be declared so by the town justice if complaints have been brought against a particular animal. According to the town clerk, there are 496 licensed dogs within the town and village of Cazenovia.

The dog control officer, Chuck Seager, is employed by the town, and said while there are many properly licensed and vaccinated dogs; there are also a number of unlicensed dogs in the area.

“License your dog and get proper the identification. Much of the reason for licensing dogs is for issues with rabies. To license your dog you need to have a valid rabies vaccination,” Seager said. “It might not be something that a lot people think about, but it is important. There are a lot of ignorant people who, in some cases, have no knowledge about owning a dog. By law, any dog I seize that is loose or wandering off the owners’ property has to be taken to Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association. I can’t just go into someone’s home and seize a dog unless a judge orders me to.”

To obtain a dog license, contact the town of Cazenovia office, located at 7 Albany St. by calling 655-9213. After filling out a form and paying a small fee ($25 for unsprayed/unneutered, $18 for spayed/neutered), dog owners are given a tag declaring their animal is up-to-date on vaccinations. This tag must be on the dog at all times, according to New York state law.

If an incident with an aggressive animal does occur, it is important to report the event immediately with either the Cazenovia Dog Control Officer at 569-4152, or the Cazenovia Police Department at 655-3276.

Pierce Smith is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at 434-8889 ext. 338 or [email protected].