City Council proposes 5-dog limit per household

Chicagoans would be limited to five dogs per household, under a crackdown proposed Wednesday to eliminate the stench caused by multiple dogs.

Over the years, aldermen have tried repeatedly to impose a three dog limit, only to be shot down by Mayor Daley, who apparently doesn't want to find himself in the doghouse with dog collectors.

At Wednesday's City Council meeting, Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) grabbed the legislative leash and yanked once again.

He introduced an ordinance that would limit the number of dogs to five per household. And he rounded up 27 co-sponsors just to prove that this time could be the charm.

"Neighbors have been complaining about the unsavory sanitary conditions," Suarez said.

"It stinks. It's terrible.They don't pick up after their dogs. Their backyards are loaded with dog waste. We have to call Animal Control, the Department of Streets and Sanitation, the Board of Health. You have to take 'em to court. It's just not right."

Suarez said he proposed a five-dog ceiling to ease opposition from dog owners, who came out of the woodwork to oppose a three-dog limit.

"A lot people I know have three or four dogs, including people who enforce the laws," he said.

"This is not aimed at people who take care of their dogs and maintain their yards so neighbors can enjoy their backyards without putting up with the odors."

In 2001, Nikki Proutsos, then-executive director of the city's Commission on Animal Care and Control, urged aldermen to slap a limit on the number of unneutered dogs in each household -- anywhere from three to five -- to rein in a dog "overpopulation" that results in 30,000 strays each year.

Emboldened by support from a member of the mayor's cabinet, Aldermen Ginger Rugai (19th) and William Banks (36th) tried again to impose a three dog limit.

Rugai has crusaded against dangerous dogs in general and pit bulls in particular ever since a pit bull attack that killed one female jogger in the Dan Ryan Woods and severely injured a Beverly woman.

"There are many problems that surround a home that has numerous animals -- waste, feces, odors, noise, potential danger," Rugai said at the time.

"In our community, we have many large lots and people often have a large number of animals. They stray. They perhaps are out all day long with no one home when people are at work."

In spite of Proutsos support, the dog limit went nowhere. The same could happen to Suarez.

"We'll try and we'll discuss it. If it doesn't pass, it doesn't pass. But, I wanted to bring it up. If you notice, I have 27 signatures. We'll see what happens," he said.