DALTON - Borough council is looking to reduce the feral cat colonies that have swarmed Dalton neighborhoods by enacting an ordinance to address the problem.
Sparked by residents' complaints, Dalton council on Thursday discussed ways to solve the ongoing problem but decided they would reach out to a local animal control officer before taking any action.
"I'll see if I can find some information because I share their concern. My neighborhood is overrun with them, too," Councilman Mark Sujkowski said. "I started listening to some of them last night with the windows open and that's not fun."
Though officials didn't pinpoint a solution, they discussed the feasibility of trapping the feral cats or introducing a leash law.
Council President William Salva said the borough would look into the problem but didn't think a leash law was a possibility. "Someone might not even own the cats, so I don't know if that could work," he said.
Both Councilman William Montgomery and Mayor Aaron Holzman said they have heard several complaints and received a letter from borough Police Chief Chris Tolson about the problem.
The letter wasn't available Thursday, but Mr. Holzman said it included an ordinance related to feral cats which had already been approved by another municipality.
Efforts to reach Chief Tolson after the meeting were unsuccessful.
"I don't know there's a health hazard, but it's definitely a nuisance," Mr. Montgomery said. "This has been a problem for a few months now."
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