Pets not allowed in borough parks or playgrounds

As has been past practice, pets are not allowed in Lehighton borough parks or playgrounds.

That’s after borough council on a narrow 4-3 vote Monday rejected a motion to adopt an ordinance that would abolish the ordinance prohibiting dogs in the park.

Voting against the motion were council members Autumn Abelovsky, Lisa Perry, Darryl Arner and council President Grant Hunsicker. In favor were council members Joe Flickinger, Ryan Saunders and Jared McEvoy.

Council’s decision means things will remain as they have been in that no pets are allowed in borough parks or playgrounds, and events with pets would need to come before council for a vote, as in the past.

Before the vote, Arner said he didn’t believe abolishing the ordinance was the way to go because people can be bitten and attacked, and there have been instances where pet owners aren’t cleaning up after their pets.

“I think that might not be a really good idea,” Arner said. “I’m not for this.”

Flickinger said that while he understood Arner’s concern about safety, then the borough shouldn’t have any animal organizations in its parks because at any given time such a situation could occur.

Abelovsky noted there had been previous conversations about looking at obtaining funding for a location for a potential dog park.

Mayor Clark Ritter said that Skyline Park was previously discussed for that very purpose, but that fell through.

Regardless, Flickinger remained adamant that if the borough doesn’t allow residents to bring animals in the park, then they would have to take the same stance against events in the park with pets as well.

Saunders said there have been countless residents who have come up to him at the downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays thanking them for allowing them to bring their pets in the parks.

Conversely, Hunsicker said he’s had residents come up to him expressing the opposite of that.

Saunders said that he hasn’t seen any messes that have needed to be cleaned up.

Council’s decision came after it agreed on a 4-3 vote last month to advertise the ordinance to abolish the current borough ordinance pertaining to dogs prohibited in parks and playgrounds.

Flickinger, Saunders, McEvoy and Arner voted in favor, with Abelovsky, Perry and Hunsicker opposed.