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Anti-Rat Scoop-The-Poop Law Heads To Chicago City Council Committee

By Ted Cox | May 12, 2016 5:35am
 City Council is considering an ordinance that would fine property owners who don't pick up dog poop on their property in order to limit a food source for rats.
City Council is considering an ordinance that would fine property owners who don't pick up dog poop on their property in order to limit a food source for rats.
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Shutterstock/DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

CITY HALL — A City Council committee takes up a proposal Thursday to put the onus on property owners to clean up after dogs.

The ordinance amendment, sponsored by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), seeks to combat rats by depriving them of a potential food source.

Emanuel acknowledged in March that it's "a real problem because it impacts the quality of life of the people." He also called "animal feces ... a contributing factor" to the spread of rats.

The city has reported increased requests for rat baiting this year.

The ordinance does not counter the city's standing ordinance on dog walkers picking up after their pets. Yet it does make property owners subject to the same $50-$500 fines if they don't police their yards and make sure they're clear of dog poop.

Homeowners will also be expected to clear their backyards daily of their own dogs' waste.

"If rats can't feed, they can't breed," said mayoral spokeswoman Shannon Breymaier, quoting what she said is a favorite motto in the Department of Streets and Sanitation.

The City Council's Committee on Health and Environmental Protection takes up the issue at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall.

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