**ALERT** New Llano, LA

[Rene Allegrini]

New Llano seeking breed selective legislation to address ‘vicious dogs'

By KELLY MOORE/Staff Writer
Published: Friday, August 31, 2007



The Town of New Llano is pursuing Breed Selective Legislation in an ordinance introduced at Tuesday's town council meeting.

The ordinance will allow the Town of New Llano to regulate and control the keeping of animals of vicious breeds within the corporate limits of New Llano, requirements for keeping animals of vicious breeds and penalties for violation of the proposed ordinance.

The town defines breeds of dogs as vicious:

€ Pit Bulls, any form of Pit or Pit Bull mix

€ German Shepherd or German Shepherd mix

€ Rottweiler or Rottweiler mix

€ Doberman Pinscher or Doberman mix

€ Chow or Chow mix
If the ordinance passes residents owning any of these dogs will have until Jan. 1, 2008 to comply with the new regulations.



Any dog deemed a vicious dog by New Llano must be in a fenced yard at least six feet in height at all times, to prevent a nuisance or danger to the public.

If chained or otherwise tethered within that fence, the minimum tether length shall be a 15 foot radius providing a 30 foot diameter exercise area. Dog collars for tethered animals shall be leather or nylon.

€ Dogs, not listed by New Llano as vicious, weighing 35 pounds or over and which have committed at least one unprovoked attack on human(s), or other animals must be confined behind a fence no less than six feet in height. The enclosure must provide a minimum of 36 feet for each animal to be enclosed.



Vicious Dogs-Definitions

€ A vicious dog definition as used for purposes of this ordinance shall mean the following:

€ Any dog that, when unprovoked, inflicts bites on or attacks a human being or another animal either on public or private property, or in a vicious or terrorizing manner, approaches any person in an apparent attitude of attack upon the streets, sidewalks or public grounds or places of this town; or



€ Any dog with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or domestic animals; or

€ Any dog which attacks a human being or domestic animal without provocation; or

€ Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dogfighting or any dog trained for dog fighting.



€ Any dog listed in the vicious breeds section of this ordinance.

New Llano residents who own defined vicious breeds will be required to secure and provide proof to the New Llano Police Department liability insurance in the amount of at least $200,000 covering any damages or injury which may be caused by vicious dog and proof of insurance shall be provided to the police department annually, no later than the Jan. 15 of each year.

All such policies of insurance shall contain a provision providing that the Town of New Llano is named as an additional insured or such other provisions as will be required that the insurer notify the town in writing no less than 10 days prior to any cancellation, termination or expiration of coverage.



Owners will also be required to display ina prominent place on the premises on which the dog is kept a sign readable by members of the general public and intelligible to young children standing without the boundaries of those premises warning that there is a vicious dog on the premises. A similar sign shall also be posted on the pen, kennel or other structure or enclosure in which the dog is housed or confined.

Owners will also be required maintain liability insurance throughout the time that the dog is kept within the city limits.

The owners will also be required to have a suitable enclosure as required by the provisions of this ordinance for the harboring of the vicious dog on the premises where the vicious dog will be kept or maintained



Owners will also be required to notify the police department within 24 hours when a vicious dog is on the loose, has attacked another animal, human, has died or has been sold, given or relocated within the corporate limits of the Town of New Llano.

Prior to bringing defined vicious dog into the town limits its owner or keeper shall submit to the police department a minimum of two color photographs of the dog clearly depicting its color, approximate size and facial characteristics.

The Town of New Llano will charge a dangerous dog fee for the increased costs of maintaining the records of the dog as permitted by the State of Louisiana. The charge will be $20 per dog.



If the ordinance is passed any person owning a dog of a vicious breed must comply with this ordinance as of Jan. 1, 2008. If owner of possessor of such animal does not comply then they will be fined $50 for the first offense and/or 30 days in jail. Owners may be fined every 30 days for which they are in violation of this ordinance. For every offense the fine shall increase $50 and not ot exceed $500 for any one offense.

No persons shall have or maintain possession of control of a dog which makes unprovoked attacks on humans. Any unprovoked attack by a dog constitutes a public nuisance.

The owner of any animal which makes an unprovoked attack on any human, shall upon the first such unprovoked attack on any human, shall upon the first such unprovoked attack be fined $250 plus the costs of prosecution, and/or be jailed for not more than 30 days, as well as an obligation ot reimburse the victim(s) reasonable medical expenses incurred as a result of such attack.

The owner of any animal which makes an unprovoked attack on any human, a second time will be be charged a $500 fine, plus the costs of prosecution, and/or be jail for not more than 30 days, as well as an obligation to reimburse the victim(s) reasonable medical expenses incurred as a result of such attack.

The third unprovoked attack by an animal shall result in the animal being impounded by the animal warden or any other officer designated by the mayor and board of aldermen, with said animal being destroyed at the owners expense, as well as an obligation to reimburse the victim(s) reasonable medical expenses incurring as a result of such attack.

A public hearing will be held at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the New Llano Town Hall.

http://www.leesvilledailyleader.com/...news/news2.txt



New Llano Contact Info

Mayor Freddie Boswell
City Hall
211 Stanton St
New Llano, LA 71461

(337) 239-3670


Charlie Balthrop
104 Franklin Street
New Llano, LA 71461
(337) 238-1216

Charlotte M. Cooper
414 Vernon St.
New Llano, La. 71461
(337) 238-5347


Danny Hunt
503 Magnolia St.
New Llano, La. 71461
(337) 392-6045


Carolyn H. Todd
129 Raymond Drive
New Llano, La. 71461
(337) 238-4477


Ervin Wilson
100 Bullock Drive
New Llano, La. 71461
(337) 238-4340

[rainstorm]

A couple of years ago our area fought a similar attempt on BSL. Although it didn't involve my town, I notified AKC, a friend of mine who is a trainer, and animal rescuer got a hold of as many people as she could. We had over 200 animal lovers turn out for this. We had a letter from the AKC, a representative from the humane society, and several other people who work to fight this legislation. Here's a link that should help you.

http://www.dogwatch.net/strategy.html

We had rotties, pits, and a boxer brought to the meeting. The boxer had unclipped ears and often was mistaken as a pit.

We got a hold of local news agencies and they interviewed owners and were seen with the "vicious" dogs.

I brought my then 11 year old dd with us and she told how she helped train our "vicious" rottie and how she worked with her in 4-H. We had a couple who testified how her rescue rottie saved her husband's life by coming to get her when he had a heart attack.

We had pet owners of small dogs who stated how unfair this was and some even went so far to say that their small breed dog was more likely to bite than the selected breeds or had been.

The end result was that the law was not passed.

There is a website that I lost the information on but you can probably find it with a search that you can notify them about the proposed law and they will send someone to help you.

Good luck!