Sylvia and Joseph Tognoli attended the July 9 North Catasauqua Borough Council meeting to ask what they can do about a dog running loose in their neighborhood. The Tognolis reside in the 1100 block of American Street.

Sylvia Tognoli said the Labrador retriever frequently roams, often defecating on lawns.

"He seems to really like my yard the most," she said.

Tognoli said the dog is owned by Patrick Sobrinski, who lives on Grove Street.

She said it is a hardship for her to clean up the mess each time before the lawn is mowed.

She said she was told by North Catasauqua police that they have to see the unleashed dog in order to issue a citation.

"This dog is running every day," she said.

She described her former contacts with police, reporting new canine deposits on her lawn, and asked what she can do to stop the owner from allowing the dog to leave his property.

"Where does this leave us?" she asked. "I'm exasperated."

Borough Police Chief Kim Moyer was at the council meeting and explained why the dog's owner could not be cited every time the Tognolis find excrement on their lawn.

"We can't prove it's always his dog," he said.

"I have pictures of the dog in our yard," Tognoli said. "We have a leash law. I think it should be enforced."

Moyer said it is being enforced. Sobrinski has been cited "two or three times," he said.

Borough Solicitor William McCarthy questioned Moyer about the citations.

"He pleaded guilty?" he asked, and received an affirmative reply.

McCarthy commented that perhaps the magistrate (Judge Diane Marakovits) is not fining enough. He said since Sobrinski has pleaded guilty to repeated citations, the next step could be filing a nuisance action in the court of common pleas.

The board approved a motion to ask the solicitor to look into the complaint to see what further action might be taken.