*** Portage, Wisconsin ***

[Rene Allegrini]

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City approves new rules for vicious pets

By Craig Sauer, Special to the Daily Register

Pets in the city of Portage will be under new, more stringent regulations starting next year.

After months of work updating the city's vicious dog ordinance, the Portage Common Council gave its final stamp of approval on changes that will create a multi-tier approach to labeling problem pets and establish specific regulations for each of those labels.

The effort to modify the ordinance had started as an effort to place special restrictions on pit bulls and Rottweiler breeds, but council member Addie Tamboli said that the Legislative and Regulatory Committee, which recommended the ordinance, chose a "deed, not breed" change. The resolution passed unanimously.

Work on the new ordinance, however, is not quite over.

According to City Attorney W. Andrew Voigt, the council will still need to negotiate a contract with the Columbia County Human Society to house problem animals that become subject to the vicious animal label in the ordinance.

The Humane Society would likely need to be used in situations where owners with vicious animals fail to comply with a ban on their pet, forcing the city to impound the animal.

They could also be involved if the owner of a dangerous dog decides to cast off their pet instead of paying the increased registration fee.

According to the new ordinance, after a minor reported incident, animals will be deemed dangerous and be subject to special rules, including an increased annual registration fee. A more substantial incident or incidents could lead an animal to be labeled as vicious, leading
to its ban from the city.

A contract will likely need to be negotiated before October when the council begins taking up the 2008 budget.

"That should give us adequate time to negotiate a contract," Voigt said.

Council members began looking at the ordinance in January. They had been concerned, after conversations with members of the Portage Police Department, that the city could become a refuge for pit bull owners who have had their pets banned or restricted in other communities in the state.

A breed-specific proposal, however, was promptly scrapped after council members were inundated with e-mails and phone calls on the subject from people around the state and country.

While considering the proposal, council members deemed the city's vicious dog ordinance too lax.

Enforcement of the ordinance will be in the hands of the police department, which will also determine whether an animal is dangerous or vicious. Pet owners will, however, be allowed an appeals process through the Legislative and Regulatory Committee.

Police Chief Ken Manthey said earlier this month that a member of his staff will attend special training for humane officers and help train other department staff.

Portage's old ordinance on vicious dogs and animals precluded dogs deemed as "vicious" from being allowed off the owner's premises unless muzzled and on a leash controlled by the owner or a member of their immediate family older than 16.

According to that ordinance, a dog was labeled vicious if "within any 12-month period, it bites two or more persons or inflicts serious injury to one person in unprovoked circumstances off the owner's premises."

http://www.wiscnews.com/pdr/news/204985

[Gunsey'sMom]

They could also be involved if the owner of a dangerous dog decides to cast off their pet instead of paying the increased registration fee.

Portage's old ordinance on vicious dogs and animals precluded dogs deemed as "vicious" from being allowed off the owner's premises unless muzzled and on a leash controlled by the owner or a member of their immediate family older than 16.

I think these are two really imporatant aspects, and glad they addresses them as well as choosing to punish by deed and not breed. Poeple will try to abandone their pets to avoid fines. And I dont know how many children I've seen walking dogs ALONE!!!!

I personally think the age should be higher, we are talking about a dog already deemed vicious here. The rest of it is a win though- so................