The number of unattended dogs roaming public spaces in Piggott has grown to be of significant concern. Free-roaming dogs not only pose risks of potential bites and/or disease for the people in the community but also puts the animals themselves in danger of being struck by a vehicle. 

This petition calls upon the mayor and city council members of Piggott Arkansas to act on the following initiatives:

1. Establish a direct and accessible phone number for the public to contact animal control.
2. Expand the hours/days in which animal control is available to the citizens of Piggott.
3. Strengthen and increase the legal penalty for dog owners who are reported and found to have not kept their dog within their property boundary and/or have their dog off-leash in a public space.

1. Presently there is no means for a citizen to contact animal control directly when faced with a stray/unattended dog. Citizens must first contact the police department which then in turn will attempt to contact animal control. There is no guarantee that animal control will answer the police call, and if they do answer there is no guarantee they will respond even during the limited hours that they are meant to be available.   
2. Animal control is currently available only via a call from the police department and is reported to only be available Mon-Fri from 0900-1500.  This leaves no solution or recourse for when a citizen is confronted by a stray dog on the weekends or any day past 3pm.
3. Presently the Piggott PD will attempt to identify the owner of a loose dog and issue a nominal fine of $50-$100.  This is often difficult for police to enforce and even more difficult for the courts to collect in a timely manner. This citation is also at the discretion of the officer and many may be let off with a warning, only to repeat the offense at a later date.

It is not the burden of the citizens to find the solution to this problem, but the duty of the city officials to act promptly and come up with a solution. The details and logistics of working toward a city free of stray dogs remain complicated and multifaceted. However, the fact remains that the citizens of Piggott should feel free and safe to walk down the street with their families, not in fear or worry of what a strange unleashed dog might do. 

By signing this petition I attest that I am a tax-paying, law-abiding concerned citizen of Piggott AR, and with my signature compel my elected officials to take the matter of loose dogs in the city seriously and work towards a solution improving the above mentioned iniatives.