Teeth put into dangerous dogs law

Dangerous dogs are now bound by their own criminal code.

County commissioners last week unanimously endorsed new legislation designed to put a collar on man’s best friend when it becomes a danger to the public or threatens -- or destroys -- livestock.

Patterned after state legislation, the local ordinance, adopted Oct. 14, establishes fines and criminal penalties that face owners of dangerous -- or potentially dangerous -- dogs if restrictions placed on their pets are ignored. It requires dangerous dogs to be registered, preventive measures to protecting the public to be followed, and for owners to keep their pets under control.

Under the ordinance, the authority to declare a dog as dangerous or potentially dangerous rests with the Sheriff’s Department. Chasing, biting and menacing are considered signs of “potentially dangerous” behaviors, and a complaint can trigger an investigation. An owner that disputes the department’s final ruling, which follows a preliminary meeting with law enforcement officials, must argue his or her case in District Court.

Last year, the Sheriff’s Department answered 281 calls about dogs-at-large and 13 concerning dog bites. Law enforcement officials investigated another 36 incidents involving vicious animals.

Sheriff Bill Cumming said the steady increase in altercations involving dogs and people, or dogs and livestock, is not surprising given the growing population in the islands. Still, cases involving dangerous dogs are comparatively few, he said.

Nevertheless, Cumming said several recent incidents, one in which an Orcas Island woman was injured by a Doberman, and repeated attacks on bicyclists and pedestrians near the intersection of Roche Harbor and University roads, pushed the need for legislation with more teeth.

The ordinance now places responsibility in the lap of pet owners to prevent dogs from being a threat to public safety or injuring other pets or livestock. It also clearly spells out rules that must be followed by owners of “potentially dangerous” dogs and outlines consequences for those that don’t, he said.

“It’s exactly why I asked for this ordinance to be put in place,” Cumming said about its clarity and what it offers for intervention. “It’s a very appropriate tool for law enforcement, and it puts owners on notice.”

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