County Passes New Vicious Dog Ordinance
The ordinance, which passed on Tuesday, would give animal control officers authority to declare a dog vicious in an administrative hearing, rather than forcing the issue to go before a court.
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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance this week which will give more power to animal control officers to declare a dog vicious, which potentially can lead to the animal being euthanized.
The ordinance gives the authority to make the declaration to a hearing officer in an administrative setting, whereas previously it required a court hearing.
According to the ordinance, the consequences for having a potentially dangerous or vicious dog include the possibility of being ordered to build an enclosure for the dog, mandatory dog training, and possibly the removal of the dog from the person's home.
It can also mean that the officer can rule that the dog needs to be euthanized, according to the ordinance.
Failure to comply with those rules can result in a fine or even a short jail sentence.
The ordinance also expands some of the criteria for declaring a dog vicious, including if the dog's actions result in "serious physical illness." Previous language specified that "fractures or lacerations" result from a dog attack.
Finally, the ordinance also allows hearing officers to consider a dog's actions in other jurisdictions beyond Los Angeles County in deciding whether it is vicious.
A note from the county counsel in the ordinance suggests that the new hearing system will be a more "cost effective" option for the county.
But not everyone is pleased about it: an animal rights advocate told the Los Angeles Times that the law could lead to "arbitrary" decisions and the death of "innocent" dogs.
As Altadena is part of the county animal control system the ordinance will apply to local animals.
Lisa Maiorana
9:14 am on Friday, July 29, 2011
Thank God! I've seen so many dogs that are vicious and one that nearly killed my cocker spaniel a while back, that almost bit my child while my husband was carrying her in his arms. Yes, sorry to all the doggie lovers out there but if your dog is a killer, it has to be done, it's worth it to save the lives of our children if need be.
Laura Monteros
9:30 am on Friday, July 29, 2011
I'm happy to see some teeth (sorry, had to) in the ordinance. Desginating a dog as vicious still requires a hearing, so there is an opportunity for the owner to respond.
When my kids attended Edison, the campus was used for dog fights at night. Too many owners in my neighborhood take pride in their vicious animals.
Petrea Burchard
10:26 am on Friday, July 29, 2011
What this points out, as it should, is that a dog's behavior is always the owner's responsibility. Dogs are trainable. They do what they're taught to do. If a dog is vicious and has to be euthanized because of it, the owner is to blame.
I'm a dog lover, and it breaks my heart to see these animals treated this way. Teaching a dog to attack and fight is the worst sort of cruelty--to everyone, including the dog.
Lisa Hastings
11:18 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
This is not good. All this does is save money for the county and places animal control in charge of deciding who is guilty. There already was a mechanism in place to deal with this problem--the criminal justice system, which most of the time protects the innocent from false charges made by people with personal agendas. Don't get me wrong--raising and training a dog to be vicious is reprehensible and the perpetrators should be held accountable; but, in a court of law and not in some animal control kangaroo court.
Lisa Hastings
11:26 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
And, if animal control handles these vicious dog cases instead of a criminal court, the perpetrators will most likely escape any kind of criminal charges for keeping a vicious animal. These individuals don't care about their dogs anyway, so euthanization will mean little to them--they'll just get another vicious dog. This new ordinance will help these criminals escape prosecution..