Palmerton Borough Council made an effort to clear up some misconceptions concerning a hotly contested animal ordinance at Thursday’s meeting.

The uproar over Palmerton’s Ordinance 728, which revolves around animal care and welfare in the borough, reached a high point at last month’s meeting, where at least two dozen residents voiced their concerns over the recently adopted rule set. One of the biggest issues that the public had with the set of regulations was an apparent lack of clarity.A statement, read by council member Holly Sell, at one point addressed Humane Society officer Donna Crum’s complaint that the ordinance was not in compliance with state laws, and that the section dealing with feeding stations was flawed.During last month’s meeting, it was made clear by the council that any conflict between state law and borough ordinances would be addressed if an issue was pointed out. As far as the feeding stations were concerned, the council emphasized that the restrictions were put in place to prevent wild or feral animals from intruding on residential properties, for the safety of borough residents.Another issue, the four-pet limit within borough limits, also drew plenty of ire.“A person also brought up that someone was going door-to-door inquiring about animals in the home, and were concerned that if there were more than four animals in the home, they would be seized. This was determined to be a rumor on social media,” Sell said.As it turns out, the limit is simply a standard that can be applied in situations where a citation or other legal action would be warranted.Council President Terry Costenbader said that this does not mean that a zoning officer will be inspecting homes with pets.“If we get a complaint, now we can deal with that. It doesn’t mean we’re rapping on the door every time, though,” Council President Terry Costenbader said.Costenbader said that if anyone has any problems with the ordinance, they are free to write to the borough council, and that they will evaluate the concerns and make changes to the rules, if necessary. As of now, though, no one has contacted the council.“In the best scenario, we’ll never have to go out and do any enforcement on this ordinance at all. It’s for the safety of the animals, and the neighborhood, the people who are impacted by stray animals in their community,” borough manager Rodger Danielson said.Addressing concernsCouncil president Terry Costenbader addresses residents’ concerns:What is the ordinance?Ordinance 728 is a blend of the old animal ordinance with some new additions. The new additions mostly address the tagging and licensing of cats, and restrictions on feeding stations.Explain the feeding station. What if a pet owner needs to allow their animal to be outside during the day?A dog or cat that needs to be outside during the day needs to remain on the owner’s property, in a pen. In a pen, there is no problem with the dishes being out because of the enclosure.What is the motivation behind the restriction of feeding stations?“The motivation behind the restriction of feeding stations is that they bring wild animals, skunks, possums, raccoons, deer, bears, etc. to locations in the borough, causing damage to neighbors’ property. Some of these animals may carry rabies, and some of the locations are in proximity to schools with playgrounds. Some of these animals have been seen during the daytime, which is a sign of rabies for a mainly nocturnal animal. There are also a few cases where neighbors have had to seek medical attention due to allergies from cats and other animals. We are concerned for the health, welfare, and safety of the residents of the borough.If someone had multiple animals — two dogs and three cats, for example — will a zoning or code enforcement officer come to their home? Will they be forced to give up a pet?If you have two dogs and three cats, no one is coming to your home to take an animal. If the borough has a complaint from a neighbor of a smell, excessive barking, feces in the backyard, etc., the borough felt that we need to have the ordinance for the authority to protect the neighbors. The four dog/cat number came from the zoning ordinance of 1998.If an animal needs to be seized by the zoning officer, what will happen? Will the animal be euthanized right away?The zoning officer is not going around to seize any animal, unless it is feral and doing damage to a property or causing a nuisance. If an animal is found, the borough will look up the license number, make the call to the owner, and return it. It will also be posted on social media. This is being done right now. If the animal is held, we will hold it for five days. If no one claims the animal, we will locate a shelter that will take the animal. It is our understanding that the shelter will try to re-home the animal.If any of the regulations in the ordinance conflict with state regulations, which set of rules should be followed?If someone comes forward and points out where there is a conflict between state law and the borough ordinance, we will look into the matter and make the necessary changes.What can be done if a citizen has a specific problem with any part of the ordinance?Should any resident of the borough have a specific problem or concern with any part of the ordinance, they can contact the borough office.