Dogs have come up at the most recent Town Board and Village Board meetings.

At last week’s Town Board meeting, Supervisor Bob Livsey noted that bids were due back on August 14 to rebuild the town’s dog pound, which was destroyed during the July 9, 2023 floods. The pound was located on the same piece of property as the town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. On Monday of this week, Livsey confirmed that they received two bids for the work – which is expected to be reimbursed at 75% by FEMA – and that the Town Board will be discussing the matter at its Monday, Aug. 26 meeting.

Livsey said that the town’s engineers confirmed that both bids met the specifications set by the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets.

While the town rarely has use for the dog pound – typically only when the dog control officer, Kathy McGuinness, picks up a stray – it is required to have one, or contract one, per New York State, because dogs are licensed here.

Two weeks earlier, at the Village Board meeting, Mayor Joe D’Onofrio said he’d soon be asking Livsey and the local police chiefs to sit down for a meeting about just that, licensing dogs and local laws pertaining to dogs.

His comments came after he reported that there had been two recent dogs attacked by other dogs – one while being walked, on a leash, by its owner, and one in its own yard.

“We have to talk about how to handle dangerous dogs,” the mayor said. “The local codes pertaining to dogs have to be looked at. And whose job is it to monitor local dogs? Two incidents in less than a month is too many. This cannot go on. It’s bad enough other dogs were attacked – what if it’s a person next time?”

At the Town Board meeting Livsey mentioned D’Onofrio’s concerns and said the state-certified dog control officer works about 12 hours a week, in both Highland Falls and Fort Montgomery; gets paid $15 an hour; and, at the moment, has no town-issued vehicle due to a mechanical problem.