Peachtree City pet owners may soon lose the ability to keep their pets under voice control.
At Thursday night’s City Council meeting, officials will consider adopting a requirement that all pets be leashed when off their owner’s property.
This would be a sweeping change for many pet owners who have become accustomed to walking their dogs on the path system unencumbered by leashes. However, several residents have told the City Council they have been accosted by uncontrolled dogs that were unleashed while they were on a path stroll.
The matter will be discussed at Thursday’s council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall on Willowbend Road just off Ga. Highway 54.
The change will bring Peachtree City in-line with the county’s leash law regulations, which is a consideration because the county’s Animal Control division handles animal complaints in the city.
Peachtree City Police Chief H.C. “Skip” Clark also has asked for voice control to be eliminated as an option because a leash law will be far simpler to enforce.
There are no proposed restrictions on the type or length of leash because of the current staffing levels of the animal control division and other city departments, according to a city memo circulated to city council members.
City staff have also investigated the possibility of allowing pet owners to become certified in voice command training, but no such training course is available, according to the memo.
