Council reviews changes to dog ordinances
No one spoke out against proposed changes to Oklahoma City’s ordinances regarding menacing and dangerous animals during a public hearing Tuesday.
People who spoke supported amending the ordinances, which would update the definition of menacing behavior and impose stiffer penalties against owners who violate the law.
“I just think that any move forward with ordinances, … anything is better than what we have right now. I know that this didn’t have to happen, shouldn’t have happened,” said Lisa Carlile, a daughter of Cecille Short, 82, who was mauled to death by two dogs on April 6.
“There has to be something done to follow up on these dogs that have issues. I’m horrified that it was my mother, but as you’ve probably read and seen, there’s been children attacked on their way to the bus; there’s been numerous occasions where there could have been something done and nothing was done,” Carlile said.
Short’s death, which happened as she was walking her dog in the 11600 block of Windmill Road, led city leaders to seek changes in an effort to prevent another tragedy.
The amendments would define a dog’s behavior as menacing if the animal destroys property in an attempt to attack a person or domesticated animal. A dog would also be considered menacing if it charges a person unprovoked and growls, snarls, takes an aggressive stance or shows its teeth.
A dog impounded and deemed dangerous would be required to be registered annually, and Animal Welfare officers would inspect the owner’s property to determine it to be secure before the animal could be released.
Animals would not be considered menacing while on their owner’s property unless attempts to escape appeared to be “reasonably likely to be successful.” Barking or running loose would not necessarily constitute menacing behavior.
The changes also would require that any animals, deemed dangerous or not, be spayed or neutered and microchipped if impounded by Animal Welfare.
Another of Short’s daughters, Melinda Short Clonts, thanked the council for what she called steps in the right direction, but said more should be done to irresponsible dog owners.
“Make them toe the line, make it hurt them financially. Make it hurt them in other ways so that they think twice about letting animals that they know are menacing, that they know are a danger to citizens in their community. Make it hurt them enough that they do not keep those animals in community areas,” she said.
Francoise Bigot said her dog was attacked and killed as she walked through her neighborhood last year.
“She was, as you can guess, torn to pieces and she died. The only way it did not get worse … I knew just to stand there, not move, otherwise it would go after me as well,” Bigot said before she began to cry.
Dog owners found to be in violation could be fined up to $500 plus court costs for a first offense. For subsequent offenses, owners could face up to a $1,200 fine and up to six months in jail.
A final vote on the amendments is set for July 5 during the 8:30 a.m. city council meeting at 200 N Walker Ave. A full list of the proposed changes can be found at https://www. okc.gov/home/show document?id=7643.