Two households in Alba have wracked up more than $4,000 in fines for loose dogs, but that does not seem to have curbed the problem.

Brenda McAninch, who said she has been dealing with neighbors’ loose dogs for the 16 years she has lived on Hopkins St., said the issue became more serious when one of her daughter’s show goats was killed by a loose dog in their fenced back yard on Dec. 7.

“It seems to not make a difference,” she said of the fines while appearing before the Alba City Council Jan. 6.

Police Chief Tim Koonce said he has talked to the municipal judge about the matter. Under the city ordinance, violators of the leash law can be fined $200. If they bite someone, the chief can then order them to be removed.

Koonce said that he has had two removed, one for biting someone and another for the goat incident.

But it appears that the dogs are always replaced with others, he said.

City council members agreed that the city attorney should be contacted to see if there are ways to beef up the leash law so that repeat offenses might result in harsher penalties.

Mayor Sonny Hass, who also lives nearby, described the loose dog issue as “going on forever.”

Koonce said the fines go back to 2013.

The dogs appear to be well-taken care of, he said.