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COLUMBIANA -- A Fairfield Avenue man asked the city to consider enforcing a two-animal minimum after getting fed up with the noise and unsanitary conditions of a neighboring home, which was later found to be housing more than 20 dogs.
Mike Mutz approached city council on Sept. 1 to voice his complaints about the property in the 700 block of Fairfield Ave.
"We need to put a cap on how many dogs the residents are allowed to have. This is totally out of line," he said.
He said that he moved to the city from Beaver County, Pa. And there was a two animal limit where he lived.
In the state of Pennsylvania animal restrictions are determined individually by municipalities, townships, or boroughs.
For example, Plains Township, Pa. has a law that no owner or caretaker of any residential building or residential structure in any zoning classification within the township shall have more than three animals of the dog or cat kind, or a combination of both, over the age of four months without a permit.
"This is a burden on all the neighbors. We need to take a vote at some time in the future here on how many animals we are allowed to have," Mutz said.
David Clarkson of Fairfield Avenue also complained about the property due to the amount of dogs kept there, and said that the uncleanliness of the home has resulted in cockroaches encroaching onto his property.
"Cockroaches are making their way from that house to my garage," he said.
He said he contacted the Columbiana County Health Department and was advised to fill out a nuisance form.
Since the city council meeting the Columbiana County Humane Society has seized the nearly 30 dogs and is currently keeping them in their care.
City officials have also been working to address ongoing code-related and property maintenance concerns.