Violent Dogs In Johnstown

Johnstown, PA -- Johnstown City Council members adopted a zero tolerance policy against violent stray dogs in the area Wednesday night. The policy says if a dog is attacking you or your child, police can now shoot the dog on site. This all comes on the heels of the city's animal control officer being attacked by a Saint Bernard and a Pitbull.

Johnstown Mayor, Don Zucco, says, "A trained professional finds herself in a compromising situation. She has to call police for help and fortunately had a police radio. Let's take a child or let's take an elderly citizen walking down the street in their neighborhood and someone who possesses one of these dogs doesn't have it under control and they get mauled. That's unacceptable in our city. So we basically told our police department and our management team, zero tolerance. If these dogs are loose and they're aggressive, they should be dealt with and they should deal with them very aggressively. If we can't contain them with the animal control officer, they ought to be shot, destroyed, and if people want them, they should keep them under control."

This decision raises the question, is shooting a violent dog too harsh of a punishment?

John Berezansky, of Johnstown, says, "It's not a tough policy because it's your life or a child's life or the safety of the person is worth more than any dog."

One man said he thinks shooting a violent dog on site is a little harsh, because the dog could have been provoked. In any case, the zero tolerance policy goes into effect immediately.