Base pets drop big problems on residents

  • Published
  • By Sheila Rupp
  • Nucleus Journalist
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  Pets can be great companions, but proper care and maintenance of pets and consideration to others are not just courtesies - they're the law.

Under Kirtland AFB Instruction 31-205, pet owners have very strict guidelines regarding pets on base, including within housing areas, and it is important that pet owners understand these regulations.

Pet owners must clean up after their pets on base, regardless of the area. Animals defecating or urinating on playgrounds and lawn areas within 50 feet of any housing area are considered a nuisance and Kirtland Family Housing may have the animal apprehended.

Owners that fail to clean up after their pets on tracks or other areas of the base can be charged with Article 92, Failure to Obey, for "failing to control a pet," said Tech. Sgt. Charles Fortier, noncommissioned officer in charge of police services.

"I have been inspecting our housing areas and lately have found that people have not been cleaning up after their dogs. We have a beautiful housing community and we need to maintain it that way," said Col. Mohsen Parhizkar, 377th Air Base Wing vice commander.

No more than two pets over 3 months of age may be kept within a household on base, excluding caged birds, small domesticated rodents, fish, rabbits, reptiles, amphibians and insects. All unusual or exotic pets must be cleared with the base veterinarian prior to purchase. Falcons, ferrets, monkeys, raccoons, skunks, snakes, potbellied pigs and hybrid wolves are prohibited from the family housing area.

Vicious dogs are banned from base housing. Vicious dogs as defined as pit bulls; American Staffordshire bull terriers; English Staffordshire bull terriers; rottweilers, full or mixed-breed; wolf hybrids; or any other breed with dominant traits geared towards aggression. Pets are not permitted in, or immediately adjacent to, any base dormitory and are restricted from places of duty. All pets must be kept within the house or a fenced yard. Tethering an animal within an unfenced yard is prohibited.

Pets taken outside the confines of fenced yards must be on a leash; dogs are only allowed off leashes in designated areas. Pets may be exercised on paths or tracks designated for human use as long as the owner cleans up after the pet. Pets are not to be exercised on athletic fields, including Hardin Field, or the prepared running surface adjacent to the East Fitness Center.

After three nuisance complaints have been filed against a base housing occupant for a pet's excessive barking, allowing a pet to run loose, destruction of property, failure to pick up droppings on a daily basis, et cetera, Kirtland Family Housing will consult the staff judge advocate for his recommendation, which may include administrative punishment or termination of lease.

If a housing occupant is on leave, TDY or out of the immediate area, Kirtland Family Housing must be notified of the name, address and phone number of the individual who will be responsible for the animal.

All pets within base housing must be registered with the base veterinarian, as well as Kirtland Family Housing, on a yearly basis. Owners are also responsible for maintaining proper vaccinations and providing vaccination records to Kirtland Family Housing. All pets within the community are required to wear a current rabies vaccination tag on the animal's collar and must be worn at all times.

Along with registering an animal with the base veterinarian, pet owners are also required to enroll their pets in a microchip identification program, either through the base veterinarian or a licensed civilian veterinarian of their choice. If a civilian veterinarian is used, owners must show proof of the procedure. The microchip identification program ensures that pets can be reunited owners should they become lost.

With temperatures rising, it is also important to understand that it is prohibited to leave an animal unattended in a vehicle during hot and cold weather conditions longer than five minutes, per pet regulation KAFBI 31-205.

Having pets within housing areas is a privilege not a right. Pet owners who violate base and housing policies are subject to be forced to remove the animal from the premises or termination of their lease.

For more information about regulations within housing areas, call Kirtland Family Housing at 232-2049 or consult KAFBI 31-205. To make an appointment with the base veterinarian for vaccinations or registration, call 846-4276.