County Commission considers vicious dog ordinance (Kirksville, MO)

[Rene Allegrini]

Article and link provided by fightBSL group


County Commission considers vicious dog ordinance


(KIRKSVILLE) Adair County residents may soon be required to keep a closer eye on their dogs. KTVO has learned that the County Commission has written a vicious dog ordinance. It's not approved yet, but we wanted to know exactly what dog owners can expect if they're cited for a violation.

"We're going to try to have an ordinance, where the first time they'll get a warning unless it's something real serious. After that, they'll have to be muzzled and taken to a pen. If they cause more trouble, the dog will have to be destroyed," said Presiding Commissioner, Gary Jones.

You might be wondering what qualifies as a vicious dog. So did we. We're told the ordinance applies to all dogs, not just dogs that typically get a bad rap like pit bulls or rotweillers. But when we pressed Jones to see the ordinance, he declined to give us a look because it's still being revised. However, he did tell us that the commission would like its ordinance to be similar to the City of Kirksville's ordinance.

That document defines a vicious animal as one that attacks , bites or injures humans or other domestic animals without being provoked.

We also wondered what led the commissioners to write the ordinance. Jones says a recent incident where a dog attacked a man on Thousand Hills Trail near the state park highlighted the need for an ordinance.