Editorial: Residents say neighbor dispute shouldn’t lead to new law

The Belleville City Council has been taking comments from residents for several meetings on an issue and on Monday, there was a public hearing on the proposed, amended Animal Ordinance. There will be another public hearing on the Animal Ordinance on April 15.
On Monday, there was new comment from several residents pointing out that this started as a dispute between two neighbors over a rooster and has grown into an ordinance that will be effective citywide that will limit residents’ enjoyment of their animals.
Those animals that aren’t bothering anyone shouldn’t be limited, several noted. Arbitrary numbers of how many dogs or cats or other animals should be allowed are not necessary, they say.
There were concerns from residents about their rescue and fostering activities that would be curtailed if the ordinance went into effect. There were fears of neighbors spying into other neighbors’ houses to count how many pets they have and turn them in.
And, how long does the city keep a pet before it possibly gets euthanized? It’s up to 10 business days now in the constantly changing ordinance. Some question whether an ordinance is needed at all and whether the dispute between the neighbors shouldn’t be remedied somehow. One resident even asked if the goats for Horizon Park trimming wouldn’t be breaking the new livestock rules.