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SD-Mobridge Considering Breed Restrictions

Vicki

Administrator
Dog ordinance a 'hot button' issue

By Katie Zerr
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 3:25 PM CDT


With reports of problem dogs increasing in the city, Police Chief Mike Nehls requested that the Mobridge City Council review the possibility of passing an ordinance to deal with what are considered "vicious" dogs.

In his presentation to the council on Monday, May 18, Nehls told the group he is interested in an ordinance that requires owners of certain breeds to carry a high liability insurance and to require owners to have a chain link fenced yard to keep the animals contained.
Nehls said he didn't want to target certain breeds, but some have a reputation for aggression and that some people want to own those types of dogs as a status symbol.

According to dog experts, any breed of dog can be aggressive. Any dog, treated harshly or trained to attack, may bite a person. Any dog, regardless of breed, can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner or handler most often is responsible for making a dog into something dangerous.

An irresponsible owner or dog handler might create a situation that places another person in danger by a dog, without the dog itself being dangerous, according to those experts. Nehls said problems in the community with dogs might be related to animals that are not handled correctly or don't have responsible owners.

"Some people who have these types of animals, have them for one reason," said Nehls. "These are the animals that present a danger to our community."

Nehls said it is up to the city council on what type of dog ordinance to pass.

"We already have sufficient language in our vicious dog ordinance to deal with a dog that has shown aggression and has been deemed a problem dog," he said. "The police department can have the dog removed from the community if it has been proven it is a vicious animal."
In South Dakota, it is illegal to keep a vicious dog, which is defined as a dog that attacks people unprovoked. These laws aren't much help when it comes to preventing injuries; they serve primarily to increase penalties on owners after a dog injures someone.

Nehls said the council has to decide if the updated ordinance should have breed restrictions, such as the required insurance and the chain link fence, or if they want it to be a more far-reaching ordinance to ban specific breeds from being owned in the community. Some communities have dog exclusion ordinances that do not allow certain breeds to be brought into a community. Leola has banned some breeds, including pit bulls, rottweiler and German shepherds. Other communities also have breed exclusion laws according to Nehls, who is conducting a survey of community laws dealing with problem dogs.

"We have to take into consideration the meter readers, those who deliver mail and others who make a living outside," said Nehls. "These people should have the right to do their jobs without the fear of being bitten by dogs that are not handled properly."

Some municipalities have taken steps to make their neighborhoods safer by either creating dog bite statutes, setting a one bite rule or expanding negligence laws.

Insurers

According to Brian Feist of American Family Insurance, certain breeds can affect a homeowner's insurance policy.

There are seven breeds targeted by insurance companies are wolf hybrids, akitas, Alaskan malamutes, Staffordshire bull terriers, chows, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, pit bulls, Siberian huskies, rottweilers and Presa Canarios.

Feist said some insurers would not issue policies to those homeowners who have these breeds; others will pay when an incident occurs, but may drop the homeowner who has a "trouble" dog. He said premium prices could escalate after an incident involving the dog or insurance can be cancelled.

Most homeowners' and renters' insurance have coverage for dog bites. Those provisions usually range from $100,000 to $300,000 in coverage. Feist said some insurers may give a homeowner a second chance, but if another incident occurs, that policy will probably be canceled.

Difficult breeds

Local dog trainer and groomer Twyla Fritz said certain dogs need to be handled with experience in order for them to be good citizen canines.

"Dobermans, rottweilers, pit bulls, mastiffs, boxers and German shepherds are all considered protection dogs," she said. "Because of their size, when they bite, it is a dangerous situation. These dogs have been bred to protect and attack throughout the years. Why do you think they are so effective in their use as police dogs, guard dogs, and army dogs?"

Fritz said dogs of these breeds are kept in some homes in the area for a reason. Part of their personality is to protect and their loyal disposition towards those that they live with and love, oftentimes get them in to trouble.

"Ten percent of the biting dog problem is their breeding; the other 90 percent is the handlers," she said. "If you give a dog a job to do, they will do it. If you expect them to protect, and you train them to protect, that is exactly what they will do. If you train them to hunt or herd, that is what they will do."

She said people are breeding an aggressive dog with another aggressive dog, to get twice the aggression. Owners and breeders can recognize a dog's personality traits as early as ten weeks. However, if the problem is addressed at ten weeks, it can usually be nipped in the bud before it becomes a problem.

"Any dog showing aggression should be neutered or spayed as soon as they are old enough," she said. "In fact, unless you are breeding to better the breed, all dogs should be spayed or neutered."

People who purchase the biting breeds need to research the breed first.

Some owners of the biting breeds disagree with statistics (see accompanying sidebar) and trainers, according to Fritz.

"That's their choice but those statistics are there through careful observation by people who know dogs," she said.

There is a leash law in Mobridge, requiring dogs to be in the control of the handler at all times. Fritz said that law is in place for a reason.

"That is to keep everyone safe, including your dog. This is a law that needs to be obeyed everywhere," she said. "Dogs are like people in the sense that they do not get along with everyone or every other dog. They have personalities that conflict just as people do."

Fritz said that all dogs, being descendants of the wolf, could be aggressive, even well-trained dogs. Hunting and protective instincts are in every dog.

"It only takes one mishandling by a handler to provoke that instinct. Even a well-trained dog that everyone trusts can revert back to the wild instinct," she said. "That instinct overpowers the impulse control and training. It is not to be taken lightly."

Fritz said every dog should be trained with the worst-case scenario in mind. She said owners must remember that life can change in a split second and dogs should be trained for the life change.

"Get them used to a leash, crate, and pen. Keep them off the furniture and out of rooms you don't want them in, such as kitchens," she said. "Don't let them jump on you or others. Above all, do not let them lick you, especially in the face? It is not a kiss. It is a show of dominance.

Any time a dog puts his front paws on you it is not to hug you, it is a show of dominance."

Mobridge does not have a trained animal control officer. The officers of the police department answers animal calls and are taking the risks of dealing with problem dogs in the city.~

http://www.mobridgetribune.com/articles/2009/06/02/local_news/news01.txt