The Crothersville Town Council is pulling the leash on vicious dogs and feral cats in the community.

Councilwoman Danieta Foster recently made some changes to the town’s animal ordinance and shared those with town attorney Jeff Lorenzo.

Those changes were announced during a recent council meeting, and the first reading of the ordinance was approved 4-0. Councilman Bob Lyttle was absent.

The biggest change is allowing residents within town limits to have only one dog that’s considered a dangerous breed, including pit bull, Rottweiler, German shepherd, Husky, Alaskan Maltese, Doberman Pinscher, Chow Chow, Great Dane, St. Bernard and Akita.

When outside, those types of dogs must be in a fenced-in area or on a leash at all times.

Feral cats were added to the ordinance. They also must be on a leash or fenced-in at all times.

According to the ordinance, a homeowner who fails to post warning signs for potentially dangerous and/or vicious animals faces a $50 fine.

The fine for allowing a dog or a cat to run at large or failing to restrain an animal ranges from $20 to $100 for the first offense. The fine increases for each subsequent offense within 12 consecutive months.

If a person receives three citations, he or she will be responsible for removing the dog or cat from town.

Read the full story in Saturday’s Tribune and online at tribtown.com.