City Council implements vicious-dog regulations

The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved an amended animal control ordinance on Monday to more effectively control and regulate animals, including vicious and dangerous within the city limits.

“The ordinance ensures that the City of Atlanta is in compliance with more-stringent state laws as it pertains to vicious and dangerous dogs,” said City Councilmember Keisha Lance Bottoms, the legislation’s sponsor.

In January, there were two reported dog attacks in Atlanta, including an incident involving three dogs where one child was killed and another injured while walking to school. In a separate incident, a 70-year-old man was hospitalized after being attacked by two dogs.

The revised provisions relating to dangerous and vicious dogs will:

Provide public safety and administrative procedures for the identification of dangerous and vicious dogs

Require registration for the possession of certain dogs

Require certain safety and indemnity measures as a condition of owning a dog classified as vicious or dangerous

Provide for euthanasia of dogs in certain instances

Provide for tougher criminal offenses and punishment

Any person who violates the provisions of this article could face a $500 fine for a second conviction, and $750 fine for a third or subsequent conviction.

If the owner of a dangerous or vicious dog continuously fails to comply and his/her dog attacks or bites a human or causes severe injury to or the death of a human, an animal control officer can immediately confiscate the dog and place it in quarantine for a period of time as provided by the health department.

Thereafter, the dog may be humanely destroyed.