The City Council plans to discuss animal control and dangerous
dogs tonight, comparing its animal control ordinance, which was
approved in 1995, with a pit bull ordinance in San Francisco.
The City Council plans to discuss animal control and dangerous dogs tonight, comparing its animal control ordinance, which was approved in 1995, with a pit bull ordinance in San Francisco.
The council requested during its Oct. 19 meeting that staff review the San Francisco ordinance and report back to the council. However, the issue has received more attention since that time because a pit bull and bulldog attacked and killed a passing terrier mix last month on Zinnia Street.
The San Francisco ordinance imposes fines of up to $500 on a first offense for dog owners who do not spay or neuter pit bulls. The City of Santa Monica also requires that pit bulls be muzzled and on a leash by an able-bodied person if they are on public property.
However, state law prohibits cities and counties from passing laws that are based upon breed.
As a result, city staff recommends that dangerous dogs that are found unleashed and off of the owner’s property be spayed and neutered at the owner’s expense. These would include canines that bite people and cause the deaths of other animals when leashed, those used in exhibition fighting, and those that cause people serious death or injury whether or not they are confined.
City staff also recommends that dangerous dog owners be required to carry liability insurance for their dogs.
In addition, they say that Gilroy Police Department should require proof of registration and vaccination for all dogs and cats on all animal control calls. In cases where proof is not available, owners should be cited, according to staff.
They also recommend that the city’s animal control ordinance be amended to require all dogs to be microchipped as a licensing requirement.
Staff also favors preparing a cost-benefit analysis to determine how easy it would be for the City of Gilroy to have its own animal licensing service, as Gilroy residents must now go to the Morgan Hill Police Department’s animal control officer to obtain those services.
More on the council’s decision will be posted Tuesday.
