Tiara
08-11-2005, 07:45 AM
Panel: Dog owners, be more responsible
Group wants stiffer laws, penalties for dangerous animals
BY CARLOS SANTOS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
FREDERICKSBURG, VA -- Spurred by a dog attack that killed a Spotsylvania County woman in March, a panel of experts yesterday discussed proposed law changes that would target irresponsible dog owners statewide.
Photos of 82-year-old Dorothy Sullivan and her pet dog flanked the panel while Sullivan's relatives, including her daughters, watched from the front row.
"Look at those photographs," said state Sen. R. Edward Houck, D-Spotsylvania, who is leading the effort to tighten the laws. "This is what this is all about. The Sullivan family deserves credit that in the midst of all their sorrow, grief and anguish, they are dedicated to preventing another tragedy from happening again."
The proposed changes would strengthen a law allowing a person whose dog kills someone to be charged with involuntary manslaughter or to be charged with a felony if a dog seriously injures a person.
Other proposed changes to current laws that were discussed include:
*Requiring the control of dangerous dogs statewide. A dangerous dog is now defined as a dog that has bitten, attacked or inflicted injury on a person or companion animal or killed a companion animal.
*Specifically prevent finding a dog to be dangerous solely for barking or growling;
*Limit the leash length for a dangerous dog to no longer than 6 feet;
*Require insurance for a dangerous dog and raise the policy limit requirement from $100,000 to $300,000;
*Require that dogs considered dangerous or vicious in one jurisdiction would be considered so throughout the state. A vicious dog is one that has killed or seriously injured a person;
*Create a Virginia dangerous dog register, maintained by the state veterinarian, and publish the list of owners in an accessible Web site.
The panel members, who represented Spotsylvania County government and law enforcement and various dog organizations, were generally in agreement that most of the changes would be good for the state and for responsible dog owners.
C. Douglas Barnes, Spotsylvania's deputy county administrator, said, "We have no desire to punish responsible dog owners. The real problem is how to go after the irresponsible ones."
"The state register is a great idea," said Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard Smith. "We would have no way of keeping track of these dogs without that."
On requiring high insurance costs to keep a dangerous dog, Tom Evans, a representative for the Virginia Federation of Dog Clubs and Breeders, said, "I think it's too easy to keep animals [that are] dangerous to the community. I think this is one way to discourage it."
Speaking in general on the proposed changes, Teresa Dockery of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, said, "We are putting the onus on irresponsible dog owners, not on the dogs."
Houck said that the panel discussion is "another step along the way. We'll take this dialogue and build on it. It will eventually evolve into a draft of legislation that will be named for Dorothy Sullivan."
Doris Phelps, one of Sullivan's daughters, struggled with her emotions to praise Houck's efforts after the hearing. "We're very grateful for this. It's encouraging. We don't want anybody else to go through this. It's terrible. . . . We want it to save lives."
Sullivan and her pet Shih Tzu, Buttons, were mauled to death by roaming pit bulls who attacked her in her yard in the rural Partlow area in southern Spotsylvania County on March 8. Authorities shot and killed two of the pit bulls and euthanized the third.
Deanna H. Large, Sullivan's neighbor, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with Sullivan's death. Authorities say Large owned the three pit bulls that killed Sullivan. Large also pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts of letting a dangerous dog run at large. Her trial is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Contact Carlos Santos at (434) 295-9542 or csantos@timesdispatch.com (csantos@timesdispatch.com)
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://www.timesdispatch.com/)
Group wants stiffer laws, penalties for dangerous animals
BY CARLOS SANTOS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
FREDERICKSBURG, VA -- Spurred by a dog attack that killed a Spotsylvania County woman in March, a panel of experts yesterday discussed proposed law changes that would target irresponsible dog owners statewide.
Photos of 82-year-old Dorothy Sullivan and her pet dog flanked the panel while Sullivan's relatives, including her daughters, watched from the front row.
"Look at those photographs," said state Sen. R. Edward Houck, D-Spotsylvania, who is leading the effort to tighten the laws. "This is what this is all about. The Sullivan family deserves credit that in the midst of all their sorrow, grief and anguish, they are dedicated to preventing another tragedy from happening again."
The proposed changes would strengthen a law allowing a person whose dog kills someone to be charged with involuntary manslaughter or to be charged with a felony if a dog seriously injures a person.
Other proposed changes to current laws that were discussed include:
*Requiring the control of dangerous dogs statewide. A dangerous dog is now defined as a dog that has bitten, attacked or inflicted injury on a person or companion animal or killed a companion animal.
*Specifically prevent finding a dog to be dangerous solely for barking or growling;
*Limit the leash length for a dangerous dog to no longer than 6 feet;
*Require insurance for a dangerous dog and raise the policy limit requirement from $100,000 to $300,000;
*Require that dogs considered dangerous or vicious in one jurisdiction would be considered so throughout the state. A vicious dog is one that has killed or seriously injured a person;
*Create a Virginia dangerous dog register, maintained by the state veterinarian, and publish the list of owners in an accessible Web site.
The panel members, who represented Spotsylvania County government and law enforcement and various dog organizations, were generally in agreement that most of the changes would be good for the state and for responsible dog owners.
C. Douglas Barnes, Spotsylvania's deputy county administrator, said, "We have no desire to punish responsible dog owners. The real problem is how to go after the irresponsible ones."
"The state register is a great idea," said Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard Smith. "We would have no way of keeping track of these dogs without that."
On requiring high insurance costs to keep a dangerous dog, Tom Evans, a representative for the Virginia Federation of Dog Clubs and Breeders, said, "I think it's too easy to keep animals [that are] dangerous to the community. I think this is one way to discourage it."
Speaking in general on the proposed changes, Teresa Dockery of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, said, "We are putting the onus on irresponsible dog owners, not on the dogs."
Houck said that the panel discussion is "another step along the way. We'll take this dialogue and build on it. It will eventually evolve into a draft of legislation that will be named for Dorothy Sullivan."
Doris Phelps, one of Sullivan's daughters, struggled with her emotions to praise Houck's efforts after the hearing. "We're very grateful for this. It's encouraging. We don't want anybody else to go through this. It's terrible. . . . We want it to save lives."
Sullivan and her pet Shih Tzu, Buttons, were mauled to death by roaming pit bulls who attacked her in her yard in the rural Partlow area in southern Spotsylvania County on March 8. Authorities shot and killed two of the pit bulls and euthanized the third.
Deanna H. Large, Sullivan's neighbor, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with Sullivan's death. Authorities say Large owned the three pit bulls that killed Sullivan. Large also pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts of letting a dangerous dog run at large. Her trial is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Contact Carlos Santos at (434) 295-9542 or csantos@timesdispatch.com (csantos@timesdispatch.com)
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://www.timesdispatch.com/)