New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
‘The clock is ticking on this’
City closer to approving vicious dog, leash laws
NEW HAVEN — An aldermanic committee Monday took another look at creating laws on controlling dangerous dogs.
Members of the alders’ Legislation Committee approved amendments to the city’s animal ordinance that focus on defining “vicious or dangerous” dogs and leash laws, among other issues.
The additions to the ordinance include new language on dangerous and vicious dogs, breeders’ permits, requirements for parvovirus vaccinations and leash laws that clarify current language about animals roaming “at large.”
“Unfortunately sometimes things happen through tragedy and this ordinance before (us) is part of that,” Alder Brian Wingate, D-29, said. Wingate was spurred to created legislation
about vicious dogs after witnessing the fatal mauling of Jocelyn Winfrey a little more than two years ago.
The city has been working since then on legislation to address issues surrounding dangerous dogs. The Public Safety Committee in June drafted language specific to vicious or dangerous dogs to amend the city’s animal ordinance, pulling language from New Britain’s and Windsor’s existing laws that already have been vetted and are compliant with state law.
According to the revised draft, “Dangerous or vicious dogs means dogs that have attacked, bitten, or otherwise injured humans without provocation, or dogs that present an unacceptably high risk of causing serious injury, even
before causing any such injury. Snarling, showing of teeth, and lunging without provocation can be considered signs of unacceptable high-risk behavior.”
Currently, animal control officers use state statutes to deal with incidents of dogs that have attacked or bitten people, said Animal Control Officer Joseph Manganiello, but they don’t have the power to take action before a dog hurts somebody. Animal control officers would be able to designate a “dangerous or vicious dog” in “active situations,” which is a new section being proposed.
Under the proposed amendment, once a dog is determined to be “vicious or dangerous,” it would need to be registered with animal control at the shelter as a dangerous dog; given a microchip registered with the owner; muzzled whenever it’s not inside;
not be left outside unattended, even if it’s fenced in or tethered to the property; and not be allowed left alone with children. Also, signs would need to be posted visible to the street warning people about the dog.
“This ordinance creates a legal framework to empower the city to protect animals from people and protect people from animals, and we need that regulation,” Alder Adam Marchand, D-25, said.
“The ordinance is long overdue in being updated and the Public Safety Committee have done a really good job.”
The amendment also includes new leash laws, which require dogs to be kept on a leash in streets, in public spaces, or any property that doesn’t belong to the dog owner, according to the proposed ordinance. The leashes wouldn’t be allowed any longer than six feet, including extendable ones, and the law doesn’t apply to public safety dogs while on duty or “duly certified service dogs guiding the blind or guiding other physically disabled persons.”
But several committee members questioned the leash length requirement. Alder Richard Furlow, D-27, said it would be hard to determine how long a leash actually is if a person had a rope or chain wrapped around their hand, and suggested setting a limited distance a dog could be from an owner. Manganiello said the most important part is that dog owners are able to
“This ordinance creates a legal framework to empower the city to protect animals from people and protect people from animals, and we need that regulation.”
— Alder Adam Marchand
control their animals. The committee wanted to change the exact language before the legislation went for final vote.
Manganiello said an equally important part of the ordinance is the regulations on breeding, which currently don’t exist in any capacity in the city. The only restriction in place to control breeding lies in state statutes, which control the number of times a person is allowed to breed the same dog, he said. Not only does uncontrolled breeding create dangerous situations with the animals, it’s also medically dangerous for them, he said. With the added language to the ordinance, anyone wanting to breed their dogs in the city would require a permit, even if it were only one litter.
The committee is looking to modify language in the proposed amendments before the issue goes for a second reading at the next full Board of Alders meeting. Particularly, Alder Charles Decker, D-9, was concerned that the leash law could be enforced in a dog park and alder Darryl Brackeen Jr., D-26, wanted new language for the leash requirements. The amendments have not gone through the city’s corporation counsel yet to be determined lawful for New Haven.
“This ordinance is actually urgent,” Marchand said. “We need to empower public safety to empower and protect people. … The clock is ticking on this.”