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ELLICOTT - Residents in Ellicott will be better protected from unruly and dangerous dogs after town board members adopted a somewhat controversial ordinance Monday toughening the town's restrictions on dog owners.

The final product wasn't precisely what residents weighed in on at a heated public hearing last month. The measure prohibiting dogs from causing unreasonable amounts of noise, for instance, was modified so that the noise level could only be judged off the owners' property.

In addition, the ordinance prohibits the town's dog control officer from seizing a dog unless it is ''for the protection of the dog, protection of the general public or elimination of an ongoing violation.''

Both modifications were made in response to complaints from dog owners, many of whom were concerned that, since barking is something dogs simply do, they could be sent to court anytime someone knocked on the door and caught the animal's attention.

Some were also concerned the law would be sporadically enforced, possibly by neighbors using it to perpetuate a grudge.

According to Town Councilman Lucian Lodestro, R-Ward 3, town officials only hoped to satisfy the complaints of many in the town who have been chased, hurt or disturbed by uncontrolled dogs - not to cause an undue hardship for dog owners.

''We're not out there to cause problems,'' Lodestro said. ''We just want responsibility.''

The measure requires that dogs be kept under control by their owners when off their property. Anytime a dog chases a passerby, attacks someone else's pet, causes damage in a neighbor's yard or causes an ''unreasonable'' amount of noise, the owner can be issued a citation.

A public hearing held earlier this month was crowded by both those who supported the law and dog owners who opposed it, as well as people who were unsure of how the measure could ultimately affect them. A final vote was put off until Monday's meeting to give the five council members a chance to review residents' concerns.

Few attended Monday's meeting. One who did, though, suggested town officials go after the noise caused by drivers traveling throughout the town at all hours of the night with their windows down, their music blasting, a speaker in the trunk and the bass knob turned all the way up.

''Now that's noise!'' he said. ''If we're going to talk about dogs barking, lets talk about some other things.''