Give dog law sharper teeth (Baton Rouge, LA)

[Rene Allegrini]

Give Dog Law Sharper Teeth

Published: Jun 11, 2007

Dog problems very often are really dog-owner problems — not always, but certainly often enough.

Getting dog owners to be responsible has to be a significant part of any effort to deal with dog problems in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Violations of the local animal control ordinance can result in penalties of up to $500 and/or six months imprisonment. Under some circumstances, animals can be impounded and euthanized. Violations of the ordinance are misdemeanors, not felonies.

Recent incidents involving dogs, particularly pit bulls, have prompted city-parish officials to consider doubling the budget and staff for animal control and raising fines from a maximum of $500 to as much as $3,000.

In one incident, a pit bull seriously injured a 13-year-old boy, requiring several surgeries. In another case, two pit bulls killed a dachshund. All three pit bulls were euthanized, and summonses were issued to their owners, who conceivably could face fines of up to $500 and six months imprisonment.

The Animal Control Center budget for 2007 is about $1.3 million, and about 45 percent of that is generated by fees, fines and donations, center Director Hilton Cole said.
Councilman Mike Walker wants to increase the animal control budget to $2.7 million per year.

Walker also wants to double the animal control staff to 42, allowing for three teams of four animal-control officers and making possible more hours of service, including weekends and holidays. In addition, the councilman wants to boost pay for animal control officers and increase penalties for irresponsible owners.

In extreme cases, Walker wants the possibility of more jail time for irresponsible dog owners.

We can conceive of circumstances that justify locking up a dog’s owner, but we’re not yet ready to provide for imprisonment in excess of six months.

Cole says he needs more money, manpower and office space, and would support Walker’s proposals.

City-parish budget officials say East Baton Rouge Parish spending for animal control was about $1.49 per capita for the 2006 fiscal year, Cole said. He contrasted that with a national average of $5 to $7 per person for 2006.

Animal Control has just seven officers and can no longer adequately serve East Baton Rouge Parish, Cole said.
“We can’t get to all the calls,” he said.

Cole said he would favor using a budget increase to hire more animal control officers and other staff
proportionately, and to add some offices.

We think the Metro Council should make stiffer fines available for pet owners who are irresponsible, especially if a person or a pet is seriously injured or killed.

We realize unforeseen things sometimes happen despite the best efforts of pet owners. However, we believe there must be consequences for irresponsible pet owners, especially those who flagrantly and deliberately disregard the law.

Dogs running loose in violation of the law are a significant problem. That’s been at the root of recent incidents in which dogs have attacked people and pets. If the dogs had been leashed or penned, obviously nothing would have happened.

Sometimes dogs get loose despite the best efforts of responsible owners, but too many dogs run loose because owners don’t try hard enough to keep them leashed or penned, or deliberately ignore requirements to do so.

Raising maximum fines to $3,000 for violations of dog laws might sound extreme, and we would agree in relatively minor cases.

However, we believe the option of very stiff fines should be available in especially severe circumstances arising from serious irresponsibility by pet owners.


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