Conroe passes dangerous-dog ordinance (Texas)

[Rene Allegrini]

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Conroe passes dangerous-dog ordinance

By RENÉE C. LEE

Conroe's City Council unanimously adopted a dangerous-dog ordinance Thursday with rules on how the animals should be kept and secured.

The ordinance goes beyond the state definition of dangerous dogs to include those that not only attack humans but also other animals.

The council's action is in response to concerns about pit bull attacks in July that sent two people to the hospital.

Last week, a Conroe man killed a pit bull after it attacked him during a morning walk in his neighborhood.

Several residents, including pit bull owners, addressed the council and stated that any ordinance approved should punish owners.

''I read your ordinance several times, and I like it," said Lew Olson. "It is my opinion it's not the breed, it's the owner. ... Make it tougher on people who let their dogs run loose."

Olson's comments were met by a round of applause.

Some residents also expressed concern about the prescribed secured enclosure, saying it was tantamount to animal cruelty.

Von Pardue, the man attacked last week, said he doesn't like to see dogs penned up, but if that's what it takes to keep them from harming people, then city officials should require it. He said he would like to see pit bulls banned from the city.

State law prohibits cities from banning specific dog breeds, but it allows cities to supplement the law by declaring individual animals as dangerous and mandating restraint and ownership requirements.

Under the Texas Health and Safety Code, a dog is considered dangerous when it causes bodily injury to a person in an unprovoked attack and causes a person to believe that it will attack and cause bodily injury.

The Conroe ordinance also includes any dog running at large that makes an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal that causes serious bodily injury or death, and the attack occurs off the dog owner's property.

After a dog has been declared dangerous, the ordinance requires the owner to spay or neuter the animal, register the dog with animal control and have a microchip tag implanted, and provide a secure enclosure.

The enclosure or kennel must be 9-gauge chain-linked fence with walls at least 8 feet tall, covered with a top or roof and have a concrete flooring 4 inches thick. The enclosure also should have an automatic closing and latching mechanism and a lock.

Also, dangerous dog signs must be posted and visible from each street providing access the owner's property.

When the dog is not in an enclosure, it must be muzzled and held on a leash more than 6 feet long by a person 18 or over.

The city also can fine owners $500 if their dog is declared dangerous and has injured a person or animal.

Other area cities that have similar ordinances with specific requirements for enclosures include Houston and League City. Harris County also has adopted such requirements.


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