Animal Control
LEASH LAW IN EFFECT
The village office has been receiving complaints about dog feces being left on the roads, lawns, sidewalks, and personal property. Just a friendly reminder. Please pick up after your pet.
Also, please keep in mind that if you are spotted not cleaning up after your pet, you are in violation of your community’s guidelines and could be cited and fined as such.
All dogs in the village of Delanson must be licensed and confined to the owner’s property unless properly restrained by collar and leash. To prevent property damage and possible harm to other pets and residents, dogs running at large are prohibited by Village Law. This law may also keep your pet from being hit by a train, car or worse carried away by a wild animal. Fishers, bears, and foxes have all been spotted in the area. Please keep your pets safe.
To license your dog, call Duanesburg Town Clerk, Jen Howe at 518-895 8920 extension 102 or e-mail her at jhowe@duanesburg.net.
Contact the Dog Control Officer if:
- you are missing your dog
- you’ve found a stray dog
- you’d like to report a dangerous dog or questions relating to licensing, rabies vaccinations/clinics, etc.
- you have concerns over a situation which violates the local animal control ordinance, such as:
1. excessive barking
2. running at large (off the property of its owner)
3. dogs in Town or Village parks
4. dog contact with other dog, wildlife or human
5. dog urinating or depositing fecal matter on the premises of another
6. Dogs causing a nuisance upon the premises of another.
I can provide contact information or resources for:
Stray cats
Injured or abandoned wildlife
Protected wildlife
Suspected animal abuse or animal neglect
Harboring exotic animals
Nuisance wildlife removal.
My position is part time, so please understand if I’m unable to respond to your concerns immediately. I strongly recommend if you’re experiencing an emergency, that you call 911. The Troopers will be able to respond much more quickly than I can, but I will work with them and you to address the issue until it’s resolution.
FAQ’s about Dog Control Officers and other pertinent information…
1. There is a lot of outdated information about dog catchers, now called Dog Control Officers. In the past being a dog catcher was not especially esteemed, you may have heard someone’s character so poor that “He
couldn’t get elected dog catcher.”
There’s an enormous difference between a dog catcher 20+ years ago and the Dog Control Officer of today. Today, a Dog Control Officer benefits from training in many different areas including dog behavioral analysis, civil liability, criminal procedures, control and education of zoonotic diseases.
2. Yes, Dog Control Officers really DO love dogs. In speaking for myself, I am committed to the humane treatment of all animals.
3. No, dog licensing isn’t a money-maker for the state. The intent of licensing your dog is to ensure dog owners are keeping their dogs current with rabies vaccination for the protection of your dog/family as well as your community members and their pets. Fees from licensing are applied in an effort to offset the costs associated with local Dog Control and the time required to process licenses by your clerk. A portion of every fee also supports animal population control in NYS. All dogs in Delanson and Duanesburg must be licensed through the Town of Duanesburg. Please call the Town Clerk,
Jennifer Howe at 895-8920 for details.
TIPS
Keep the local authorities contact info handy (Dog Control, NuisanceWildlife Removal, NYS DEC, etc.)
Keep the 24-hour emergency veterinarian contact information handy
Keep a spare slip lead and water bowl handy
Use your best judgment and always trust your instincts
Sharing photos and info re: a found dog on social media is often helpful.
If I see a dog running loose in my neighborhood, should I just leave the dog alone and let it find its way back home on its own or should I take it in?
For your own safety, it is not advisable for good Samaritans to approach any unknown dog.
A dog running at large (loose dog running in the neighborhood) is not only a violation of most local ordinances, but a dog poses a real danger to themselves and the public at large, so it’s indeed important to notify law enforcement (DCO or 911) of what you’ve seen.
When calling, please indicate:
time you saw the dog
location of the dog and direction he was headed
breed of dog
color
whether or not the dog wearing a collar
indicate any strange behavior, illness or injury that you may have noticed
offer a callback telephone# if additional information is needed
Each municipality (city, town village, etc.) has a Dog Control Officer (DCO) assigned to assist residents with these types of concerns. Oftentimes, the wayward dog will find its way home and by the time the officer arrives, the dog will be nowhere in sight. The officer will then determine whether or not to keep searching, based on the circumstances.
I’ll be honest though, as a DCO in a rural area, I (quietly) appreciate residents who are able to secure a dog until my arrival. I understand that they’ve accepted a great risk in collecting and holding a dog until I am able to arrive on scene. Many DCOs across the state are part time, like me, and not available to immediately respond.
Anytime a situation arises where you need help ASAP, call 911 for assistance.
There is a dog that lives on my street that is tied out all the time. I never see anyone pay attention to it, walk it or feed/water it. It barks all the time and looks very sad. It does have a dog house but I don’t see any blankets or straw. I also can’t see any bowls for food or water but they might be there hidden. I don’t want any problems with my neighbors retaliating on me for reporting them. What should I do?
Unfortunately, not everyone treats their dogs the way we would. NYS requires dogs have water and appropriate shelter for their breed and the climate. They are not required to leave food out all the time. As a
matter of fact, leaving food out often attracts wildlife, which brings/invites a whole host of other issues.
Look on the Village website to read the local ordinance relating to dogs/noise. 
It’s recommended to have a conversation with the neighbors to enlighten them of the issue you feel needs to be addressed. Sometimes people don’t know and you going over and knocking is much more neighborly than the police or animal control doing addressing it. If you think the parties aren’t friendly people, then certainly reach out to law enforcement (Dog Control or 911). I also recommend you keep a log of the barking start and stop time so that if you do choose to sign a formal complaint you can demonstrate a history of the barking.
I’ve found a baby bird – what do I do?
If you care, leave them there!
RABIES
Rabies is a serious illness, which can result in human death. The Schenectady County Environmental Health Unit investigates 350 to 400 rabies exposures annually, both from domestic and wild animals, to protect County residents from rabies.
Bat rabies accounts for almost all cases of human rabies in this country. Although only 1% of the bats submitted for rabies testing are positive, any exposure to bats should be reported to the Schenectady County
Environmental Health Unit. The bat should be saved for testing.
Additionally, exposures from any wild animal, bites or scratches, should be reported to the Schenectady County Environmental Health Unit at (518) 386-2818 and the animal saved for testing as well.
Periodic rabies vaccination clinics for domestic animals are held in the County. Dates, times and locations for these clinics can be obtained by calling (518) 386-2818.
You can also go to the Schenectady County website to check for scheduled vaccination clinics.
REMINDERS TO ALL DOG OWNERS
Every dog four months of age or older is required by NYS Agriculture & Markets Law to be licensed in the town/village/city where it’s harbored with very few exceptions. Applying for a license is very simple and inexpensive, but necessary. The (Duanesburg) Town Clerk’s office will be happy to assist you.
If you’ve recently moved here or have recently acquired a dog, NYS allows up to 30 days for you to make application for a license.
Yes, there IS a leash law in the Village, meaning: any time your dog is off your property, it MUST be leashed and under your control.
Yes, the license tag AND the rabies tag are required to be on your dog’s collar at all times when outdoors
Yes, under the law, if you have a dog (or dogs) that aren’t licensed, your dog(s) may immediately be seized and held until you license them, regardless if the dog is in its own home or out in the street
Dog bites are never OK. Bites on humans or bites on other dogs, neither is acceptable and all must be reported to local DCO/Health Department
Concerns relating to abuse or neglect of animals please contact the NYSP at 630-1700 or the Schenectady County SPCA at 755-9517.
**Emergency situations, call 911**
You may reach me at 518 – 860 – 3179 or the Contact Form with questions or to report a complaint.
My hours are part-time, so I may not be able to immediately respond in person, but your question or concern will be addressed as quickly as possible.
Please share with other town & village residents, and with those without access to Facebook.
Informational Links:
- DELANSON Animal Control Law
- DUANESBURG Animal Control Law
- HUMANE SOCIETY OF NYS
- NYS AGRICULTURE & MARKETS LAW – ARTCLE 7 – Animal Control Law
- NYS AGRICULTURE & MARKETS LAW – ARTICLE 26 – Cruelty to Animal Law
- RABIES FACTS
- FREE RABIES VACCINATION CLINICS – Schenectady County
- MUNICIPAL DOG CONTROL INFORMATION on Facebook
- NYS Animal Law App
- 34 House Plants toxic to Dogs
- 131 House, Garden and Wild Plants toxic to Dogs
- How to perform CPR on your Dog or Cat
The Notification of Presence of Wild Animals
Pursuant to General Municipal Law §209-cc, everyone who owns, possesses or harbors certain wild animals must report the location of the animal to the Village clerk on or before April 1 of each year.
The state fire administrator, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Conservation, has developed a list of the common names of wild animals to be reported:
