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Group of residents wants pet limits to roll over

Pet owners collecting signatures for charter amendment after council limits pets to 5.

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By Hannah Poturalski, Staff Writer 2:23 AM Wednesday, January 19, 2011

HAMILTON — Some residents haven’t lost steam on City Council restricting the number of pets allowed in homes.

Several city residents have collected more than 620 signatures in an effort to place a charter amendment on November’s ballot, according to Ross Avenue resident Deb Hitch.

Hitch asked council at its Jan. 12 meeting to reconsider the limit of five pets per household. She suggested council not have a limit.

“Just take out the number, and make a nuisance a nuisance,” Hitch said. “Don’t put a fine on these animals, don’t put a target on their head. It’s not their fault, they’re just trying to survive.”

City Manager Joshua Smith said council has received no complaints on the topic since its passage in September.

“There are more pressing issues like economic development,” Smith said. “We want to push this back and give time to see if it works.”

Jon Hitch, husband of Deb Hitch, agreed this shouldn’t be a priority of the city.

“You may say there are more important issues to broach,” he said. “I agree, this limit was not necessary. We’re left to pay the price by looking over our shoulder wondering if City Hall is coming after us.”

He said responsible pet owners should have a built-in limit based on their available time, energy, finances, and space.

“The overwhelming majority of folks that have more than the average number of pets in their home have them for loving reasons,” Jon Hitch said.

While some residents think the ordinance will help eliminate the city’s stray cat problem, Deb Hitch said she thinks it would lead to more animals on the streets as people try to avoid being outside the restriction.

“At a time when people are losing their jobs and their homes, you’re asking them to give up pets,” she said. “Haven’t people lost enough?”

Deb Hitch has been talking to local lawyers but hopes the matter can be resolved without the court’s involvement.

“I would like to settle this ourselves with the city,” she said. “I don’t want to take it to court, but it’s always an option.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2179 or hpoturalski@coxohio.com.

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