A D.C. couple threatened with a $750,000 fine for where they posted missing dog fliers has reunited with Ollie.
A Howard University police officer saw the dog behind an air conditioning unit at Howard University Hospital, recognized him and called his owner, Roger Horowitz.
Ollie is a rescue dog who was shot by his previous owner in Georgia.
On March 30, as Horowitz walked Ollie in the area of Georgia Avenue and Euclid Street NW, a car backfired, and Ollie broke free with the leash.
Horowitz filed a missing dog report. He said he was encouraged by police to post fliers, and volunteers helped put out thousands of them.
But after a phone call from a D.C. police officer, Horowitz went out Friday to tear the fliers down. He said the officer told him he'd face a hefty fine if he didn't take them down.
"Someone was having a bad day," Roger Horowitz said. "Most of the police officers we've talked to have been super helpful and really weren't worried about lost dog fliers."
A Washington Humane Society spokesman told News4 that the organization was unaware of the sign rules and will work to have them changed so finding lost pets is easy as possible.
"We're just really thankful that we haven't gotten fined yet and the fliers worked," Horowitz said. "We're just so happy to have him back."
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Ollie was checked out by a vet Thursday.
Here are the regulations provided by the Metropolitan Police Department with the relevant section in bold.
DC Municipal Regulations
Chapter 24 — Public Space and Safety
108 SIGNS, POSTERS, AND PLACARDS
108.1 No person shall affix a sign, advertisement, or poster to any public lamppost or appurtenances of a lamppost, except as provided in accordance with this section.
108.2 The placing of any advertisement on any tree in public space is prohibited.
108.3 No poster or placard shall be publicly displayed or exhibited if it is lewd, indecent, or vulgar, or if it pictorially represents the commission of or the attempt to commit any crime.
108.4 Any sign, advertisement, or poster that does not relate to the sale of goods or services may be affixed on public lampposts or appurtenances of a lamppost, subject to the restrictions set forth in this section.
108.5 A sign, advertisement, or poster shall be affixed for no more than one hundred eighty (180) days.
108.6 A sign, advertisement, or poster related to a specific event shall be removed no later than thirty (30) days following the event to which it is related. This subsection does not extend the time limit in subsection 108.5.
108.7 Each sign, advertisement, or poster shall contain the date upon which it was initially affixed to a lamppost.
108.8 Each sign, advertisement, or poster shall be affixed securely to avoid being torn or disengaged by normal weather conditions.
108.9 Signs, advertisements, and posters shall not be affixed by adhesives that prevent their complete removal from the fixture, or that do damage to the fixture.
108.10 No more than three (3) versions or copies of each sign, advertisement, or poster shall be affixed on one (1) side of a street within one (1) block.
108.11 Within twenty-four (24) hours of posting each sign, advertisement, or poster, two (2) copies of the material shall be filed with an agent of the District of Columbia so designated by the Mayor. The filing shall include the name, address, and telephone number of the originator of the sign, advertisement, or poster, and if the sign is for an event, the date of the event.
108.12 For purposes of this section, a "public lamppost" is any public post erected for the purpose of supporting electric wires.
108.13 For purposes of this section, the term “event” refers to an occurrence, happening, activity or series of activities, specific to an identifiable time and place, if referenced on the poster itself or reasonably determined from all circumstances by the inspector.
Additionally, DCMR Title 24, Chapter 100.6 States:
100.6 Any person violating any provision of this title for which a specific penalty is not provided shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300).
