Story Archive

Rules Are Rules

As he does nearly every weekend, Jerry Kimball took his pet to Falls Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. But a recent trip resulted in a $190 ticket for failing to leash his pet. There’s hardly a need, Kimball thought: “They’re not fast creatures. They’re not going to run away.” The specific charge on the ticket, “animals running at large,” was ironic since his pet boa constrictor has no legs and thus can’t run. “He was literally asking me to put a rope around my snake,” Kimball said. “I was like, ‘dude, no.’ I was dumbfounded.” Animal Control Supervisor Julie DeJong defended the citation. “If it’s in public and it’s not on a leash, it’s at large,” she said. “The ordinance doesn’t really distinguish between animals.” (MS/Sioux Falls Argus Leader) ...And unfortunately, when it comes to the letter of the law, Kimball’s pet doesn’t have a leg to stand on.