Estabrook: Stricter dog laws good for everybody

A proposed dog ordinance in Auburn is being revamped to accommodate concerns raised by residents and pet-advocacy groups. Originally, the proposal included specific regulations for breeds with more aggressive reputations. The revised rule no longer contains breed specific regulations, referencing all dogs equally.

But dog owners will face harsher penalties for loud, barking dogs. A once marginal increase for each offense has been replaced with a three-violation penalty, starting at $25 for first time offenders and leaping to $100 for third plus transgressions. And the law remains strict about the number of dogs permissible per dwelling, and contains additional rules about the allowable size and weight.

Opponents of the regulation fear it penalizes good dog owners. But even good dog owners can yield rowdy and mischievous dogs, and love can skew judgment. I once had a neighbor whose dog always tore apart my trash. I was constantly having to shoo the dog away and not always in time to prevent a labor intensive cleanup. I confronted the neighbor, who informed me that the dog was a popular breed, so how could I be so sure it was their dog?