County's dog policy updated
The county’s policy on dangerous dogs has been updated, and the Jackson County Commissioners are now requiring that certain breeds owned by county residents be registered yearly with the sheriff’s department.
The commissioners made a motion to approve resolution 2015-5 Tuesday regarding dangerous dogs.
“We decided we needed to simplify the county’s previous policies and be more specific in some areas,” said Commissioner Janet Zwonitzer. “A vicious dog is a vicious dog. We also had some outdated information, such as the sheriff being listed as the animal catcher, and that’s not his job.”
A section of the new resolution requires that anyone in the unincorporated areas of the county who owns a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier or a hybrid of any of those breeds is required to register with the sheriff’s office on or before April 1 every year. The registration fee is $25.
“We’re not trying to penalize people with those breeds, but by working with the sheriff and looking over all the data that has been collected we know those breeds are very powerful, and we understand the damage they can do,” Zwonitzer said. “We just want to make sure we know where they are so that if EMS, law enforcement or emergency personnel are responding to an incident at that residence they can be aware. This is for the safety of our employees.”
The commissioners have been drafting this resolution for several months and approved it after rescinding previous policies approved in 1989 and 2004. At one point, it was recommended in previous policy that all county dogs are registered and receive a dog tag, Zwonitzer said.
The new resolution recognizes that any dog can be a dangerous dog, Zwonitzer said, and not just specific breeds. In the previous policy from 1989, a “vicious” dog was defined by its breed.
In the current policy, a “dangerous” dog is any dog that bites or injures an animal or person without provocation or is kept for fighting purposes. It’s also defined as dog that molests or chases a person in a public right-of-way or damages property.
Any dog that is deemed “dangerous” must be securely kept in a building or kennel. Dangerous dogs cannot be kept or a porch or patio that would allow the animal to leave the home on its own accord, the resolution states.
Dangerous dogs must be secured on a leash no longer than four feet and cannot be leashed to inanimate objects such as trees or posts and left unattended.
If a dog in the county is considered dangerous, a sign must be displayed where the dog is kept that says “Beware of Dangerous Dog.”
After a hearing, a dangerous dog can be ordered to be humanely killed under certain conditions by the county district court. The court also has the authority to place the dog for adoption.
The dog’s owner is responsible for paying boarding costs while an incident regarding the dog is investigated and handled in district court, according to the resolution, which takes effect following its publication in The Holton Recorder on Monday.
Any violation of the resolution, including failing to register your dog, can result in a fine between $50 and $500 and 30 days in the county jail.
