11-23-09 Council Recommendation!
| 09-2141 | 55. Recommendations to modify the Vicious Dog Ordinance. Moved by Hensley to refer to the City Manager to provide information regarding how many of the pit bulls impounded were properly licensed. The City Manager will continue discussions focusing on irresponsible owners, education and compliance issues. Motion Carried 7-0. |
11-23-09
POSSIBLE VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE PROPOSALS AT THIS COUNCIL MEETING.
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http://www.ci.des-moines.ia.us/mayor_council/agendas/
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10-19-09 Vicious Dog Committee
Met to discuss changes to the current ordinance changes presented by Sgt. Raudabaugh at the 9/28/09 City Workshop, the following are recommendations submitted to Randy Wetmore and Kandi Rendl employees in the City Managers office from Cindy Holliday, Director Adapt4DSM.org.
9-28-09 Council Workshop Ordinance Revision presented by Sgt. Raudabaugh
Vicious Dog Ordinance
1. Options
- Considered a total ban of Pit Bull breed dogs
- Considered ways to revise the ordinance and increase public safety.
2. Pit Bull Ban
- Difficult for animal control to enforce
- Personnel would be diverted from enforcing the other laws and would be spending time trying to find the Pit Bull breed dogs
- Chances of success are not high
- Ban one type of dog and another vicious type of dog may take its place
- Not fair to those who are responsible owners
3. Ordinance Revision
- Addresses the issue in a direct manner
- Attempts to reduce number of bites
- Applies not only to pit bulls but all vicious
- dogs by breed or behavior
4. Definition of a Vicious Dog In City
Ordinance
- Attacks a human or domestic animal one or more times
- Tendency or disposition to attack
- Snaps, bites or disposition to snap or bite
- Staffordshire terrier breed, American pit bull, American Staffordshire. Any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being one of the above breeds
5. Vicious Dogs
- 465 is the number of Pit Bull dogs that the Clerk’s office was aware of July 1, 2009 239 of those 465 are licensed by the City
- Of the 380 vicious dogs impounded in 2008, 371 were pit bulls
- In 2007 326 vicious dogs were impounded, 320 were pit bulls
6. Dog Bites
Dog bites for 2006. Last year numbers kept. Top 5 breeds Bites Licensed %
- Labrador Retriever 56 2,244 2.5%
- Pit Bulls 43 151 28.5%
- German Shepherd 41 724 5.6%
- Boxer 22 336 6.5%
- Rottweiler 20 348 5.7%
7. Present Confinement Regulations
- Securely enclosed pen with key or combination lock
- Secure house
- Pen must have a six foot fence, secure top, sides embedded in the ground not less than two feet, or attached to a floor
- Cannot leave pen unless on a leash not longer than six feet and in control by someone 18 or older
8. Recommendations
- Inspect the confinement arrangement either by on-site inspection or with photographs after impoundment. Cost to owner.
- Require a basket muzzle on a vicious dog when off of owners property.
- If owner is a repeat offender with a vicious dog found running at large three or more times the owner cannot own any vicious dog for five years.
9. Recommendations Cont.
- Increase liability insurance from $100,000 to $300,000. Owner to provide proof of 12 months of insurance. Require insurance company to notify if cancelled for any reason.
- Require mandatory training of owner by the city’s animal control contractor, cost covered by owner when not properly confined/leashed.
- Increase vicious dog license from $15 for spayed/neutered and $35 for not spayed to $55.
- Require all vicious dogs to be microchipped before licensing, with cost covered by owner.
10. Recommendations Cont.
- The owner of a dog declared vicious because of behavior, but not under impoundment, would be required to attend a vicious dog ownership class, but if the owner does not complete the class the dog would be impounded and held for seven days and then destroyed in a humane manner.
11. Recommendations Cont.
- A dog already in impound would remain in impound until the owner completes the class and is issued a city pet license. If the owner does not make application to attend the class or complete the class the dog would be destroyed in a humane manner at the end of the period of impound.
12. Recommendations Cont.
- Collect animal shelter fees even if the owner does not reclaim their impounded vicious dog.
- Require a vicious dog owner to notify the City Clerk’s Office of a change of insurance company or coverage and/or sale of dog and to provide proof of the name and address of new owner.
- These steps must be done within one business day of the occurrence.
13. Recommendations Cont.
- Require anyone owning an animal that bites a person and/or a domestic animal to provide their name, address and telephone number to the person that was bit and/or the owner of the domestic animal.
- Require the owner of an animal that bit to produce their animal to the chief humane officer or animal control for quarantine. (Home or shelter for quarantine)
14. Cont’d
- Require a vicious dog owner to provide their insurance company name, policy number and a telephone contact number of their insurance company to the person bit or the owner of a domestic animal that was bit.
- Add to the dangerous animal definition, a vicious dog that is not properly confined or leashed and is
- involved in an unprovoked bite and causes death or serious injury requiring professional medical care to a person or domestic animal.
These are the current suggestions open for discussion for revising the current ordinance.
The council recommended that the ordinance be revised vs. implementing a breed specific ban, it was also noted that public input would be included in the revisions of these recommendations! This is a very positive sign that our efforts are working, the city is very interested in public involvement. After this meeting I spoke with one of the assistant city managers and his words, “we can only succeed with the publics input and willingness to work together”! While Sgt. Raudabaugh has been unwilling to meet with us he does not support a ban, I feel that in time he will see our validity and be willing to work with this group. We do not agree with all of these recommendations, we will be involved in this process and the writing of the new ordinance. By doing this the public image of animal control can only improve, by being involved we can make this happen! It’s time to leave the past behind and work for the future, we can do this!
We have been invited to give input on the ordinance changes as we don’t agree with everything, one of the goals I presented to the council was to eventually remove any breed specifications. Before this can happen we will have to “prove our worth” which I am confident we can and will!! Please review and provide input via the blog or email stopdsmbsl@gmail.com