Pierce County’s proposed dangerous dog ordinance is fair and reasonable

There are few things that make pit bull owners more vicious than the thought that their pet is being picked on.

So Pierce County’s proposed dangerous dog ordinance should be a dream come true. Instead of pointing a bull’s-eye on pit bulls, the law would target dog owners who can’t control their pets.

If Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg signs the ordinance, which he is expected to do, all dogs would be treated the same regardless of their breed. This should be a comforting thought to pit bull and rottweiler owners, who often say good and bad dogs are unjustly lumped together based on breed rather than behavior. The proposed ordinance would address the idea that there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.

That would mean it wouldn’t matter if your face were mauled by a pit bull or a Pomeranian. Dog owners would have to fork over a $500 fee each year they own a dangerous dog, one that has severely injured a person or another animal. Those owners of dangerous dogs would also have to carry $500,000 in liability insurance.

Plus, owners who have had multiple complaints filed against their pet would be prohibited from owning a pet for 10 years. Violation of the regulations could result in a year in jail.

It’s a similar stance Sumner is looking into, though not quite as strict. In the next few weeks, city council will discuss putting a dangerous dog ordinance on the books for the first time, mirroring Pierce County and Puyallup’s current regulations.

Puyallup, Edgewood and Bonney Lake all contract with Sumner animal services so it’s important for the four cities to see eye-to-eye on regulations.

The pitfall of all the dangerous dog ordinances, though, is that a pet’s prior offenses don’t follow it from one jurisdiction to the next. While a dog could have a history of biting in Pierce County, if the owner moves to downtown Puyallup, it gets a fresh start.

Making it mandatory to have a dangerous dog tattooed or chipped so that animal control in a new location could be alerted to the dog’s history would assist in the public’s protection.

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Readers:

How do you feel about Pierce County’s proposed dangerous dog ordinance? Is it fair to hold dog owners responsible or should the ordinance be breed specific?

Send letters with 250 words or less to editor@puyallupherald.com or The Herald, P.O. Box 517, Puyallup, WA 98371-0170.