Dangerous Dog Ordinance Moves Ahead (non-breed specific)

[Rene Allegrini]

Finally, an official that makes sense, ""It would be basically impossible for someone to obtain liability insurance and we want this ordinance to pass and be reasonable, we don't want to put unreasonable restrictions on an owner," says Marci Paulson, Assistant City Attorney for the City of Madison.


Dangerous Dog Ordinance Moves Ahead

Thu 08/17/2006 -

Madison's Board of Health passed a revised dangerous dogs ordinance.

The Board asked for the author to loosen some of the requirements.

The initial ordinance was rejected because of concerns from the Dane County Humane Society.

They took issue with a requirement that owners purchase insurance if their dogs are ruled dangerous, as well as with a microchipping requirement.

The new version still requires micro chips - but they can be done through the vet of the owners choice.

The new version also drops the liability insurance.

"It would be basically impossible for someone to obtain liability insurance and we want this ordinance to pass and be reasonable, we don't want to put unreasonable restrictions on an owner," says Marci Paulson, Assistant City Attorney for the City of Madison.

"I would love to have the owners be required to have insurance but there are no insurance companies that would do it," says Madison Alder Cindy Thomas, who sponsored the ordinance.

BOH unanimously passed the proposed ordinance.

The revised ordinance will now go before the full Madison Common Council for a final vote the first meeting in September.

The City of Madison already has a dangerous dog ordinance but due to recent dog attacks, there has been a push to make that ordinance stricter.

News :: WKOW 27 - Madison, Wisconsin