Walkers or runners inside the city who encounter nuisance animals should call the Andalusia Police Department with a location and description at the time of the encounter, Chief Paul Hudson said.

The advice comes on the heels of complaints by the local running community of being chased by dogs, as well as complaints by residents of Albritton Road of cats being killed or missing.

“If you see a dog running loose, call the APD with a location and description,” Hudson said. “If it is after animal control hours, we will try to locate the animal and find the owner. If it occurs during the day, Monday through Friday, the animal control officer will be dispatched to pick it up.”

Pet owners are required by city ordinance to prevent their animals from roaming, Hudson said.

“We have a city ordinance for nuisance animals and a leash law,” Police Chief Paul Hudson said. “If your dog is caught out of your yard and not on a leash, you can be summonsed for allowing your dogs to run at large.”

That means an appearance in city court, with a possible fine.

“If your animal attacks someone, you can be issued a summons for a vicious animal and be (financially) responsible for quarantining the animal for up to 10 days,” Hudson said. “If your dog isn’t up to date on shots, you can also receive a summons for failure to inoculate your dogs.”

Local residents need to understand that it is their responsibility to keep their pets secure in their yards unless they are out with them on a leash, he said.

If an encounter with a dog is an emergency (someone has been injured), the call should go to 911, he said. If the report is not an emergency, please call the department at 222-1155.