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AMERICAN FALLS - The City Council is considering a new ordinance that would crack down on people who own vicious dogs, and it could lead to some big penalities.

The proposed ordinance includes fines, and even the possibility of jail time for people who don't control their animals.

The hope is that it will remind pet owners to be responsible. Mayor Amy Wynn said, "Safety is always a concern."

And after having 18 dog attacks in the last two years, the American Falls City Council wants something done to keep people safe. Wynn said, "We've had deaths of animals, we've had very serious attacks against humans."

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    The enhanced ordinance is in response to an increased number of attacks by pit bulls in American Falls. Last year, 10 cases of pit bulls killing other animals were reported and a city police officer was attacked and injured.  
    A public hearing regarding the new ordinance was set for Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. at  American Falls City Hall.

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In two years, there have been 18 dog attacks, which seem to include dog-dog attacks. That's 9 dog attacks annually. With a population of 4,100, approximately 0.225% of the population can claim to have been bitten by a dog. You would need five times more attacks to get that number up to 1% of the population.

And the case of pit bulls? It's not a case of pit bulls attacking other dogs, it's a case of loose dogs attacking other dogs. Ten cases in one year of dog-dog attacks is hardly newsworthy nor is one attack on a person. 

Yes, it's great to create dangerous dog ordinances. But it's silly to create laws when the factors causing dog bites are not addressed. I'm sure American Falls has a leash law - enforce it. I'm sure there's a loose dog law - enforce it. I doubt there is any educational program for the citizens of American Falls to learn about proper dog management - create one. Educating people and enforcing licensing laws (educate them when you enforce the license law) are a lot more effective (check Calgary) than making more penal codes.

This is out of Nampa, Idaho where a Labrador Retriever bit a 3-yr-old child on the face. One witness stated that the child did not touch the dog before the attack. It sounds like it might have been a case of the child getting up suddenly and the dog biting her in the face. An informal hearing has decided Mader, the dog, isn't vicious.

Thing is, this isn't Mader's first bite. According to others, the family admitted the dog has bitten a child on the head previously.

Nampa is also the same city that had looked into regulating/restricting/banning pit bulls. They decided against the ban, however.


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Update: Mayor says bill or laws will not target specific breeds

NAMPA -- Nampa Mayor Tom Dale says the city is not considering any laws aimed specifically at certain breeds of dogs, namely pit bulls.

The city is trying to strengthen its dog-control ordinance, but some in the community say they were concerned that could lead to breed-specific laws.

At the town hall meeting yesterday, most of the 100 people who attended defended pit bulls and didn't want any laws prohibiting owning them.

Dale says he has received comments from around the country from people who were concerned Nampa might outlaw some breeds of dogs.

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-dec1506-pit_bulls.10b75244.html

Affected location: Nampa, Idaho
Affected breeds: Pit bull type dogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers

Contact:
Peggy Shaver
Phone: (208) 468-5401
E-mail: mayor@ci.nampa. id.us