LOS ANGELES, Kalifornia - July 19, 2011 - The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to approve an ordinance giving animal control officers the right to declare a dog “vicious,” a designation that can potentially lead to the animal being euthanized.
The new measure changes the definition of what actually makes a dog dangerous, and does not require a severe injury to a person who is attacked by a dog.
Animal control officers will now have the power to seize an animal simply for chasing someone.
“There doesn’t necessarily have to be a bite,” said director of animal control Marcia Mayeda. “But if a dog’s charging at you down the street and you jump on top of a car to get out of the way, that’s a potentially dangerous dog.”
Under current law, owners of dogs deemed to be potentially dangerous can be forced to either muzzle the dogs and place them on short leashes or otherwise confine them - in addition to requiring the dog to undergo training classes.
But if a dog is determined to be a “significant threat to the public health, safety and welfare”, then under the new ordinance animal control personnel can destroy the dog.
The board’s 4-0 support of the draft ordinance included noted animal lover Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s yes vote.
The law also sets up a more cost effective administrative hearing process, one that won’t call on the Superior Court to resolve disputes over whether the picked-up dog was in fact dangerous.
Ed. Note: Cost effective generally equates to the elimination of the Citizen’s Right to Due Process, such as mandating State Arbitration instead of judicial proceedings.
