Board Of Supervisors Approves Changes To Orange County's Vicious Dog Ordinance
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — The Board of Supervisors voted to preliminarily approve changes to Orange County's vicious dogs ordinance that include the establishment of a website of dangerous canines in the area.
The county would set up a site, featuring dangerous dogs in the area, similar to the Megan's Law website bearing photos of registered sex offenders, according to Orange County Animal Care director Ryan Drabek.
"That would be the most significant portion of what they're asking staff to do," Drabek said.
The supervisors voted 4-0 to tentatively approve changes to the county's ordinance regulating vicious dogs. A final vote has been scheduled for Oct. 1.
The supervisors approved an ordinance in July of last year, which made it tougher for owners of vicious dogs to obtain another canine. The ordinance had been inspired by the complaints and reports of Trabuco Canyon residents, who said the owner of a pit bull used his pet to terrorize and intimidate neighbors.
Additional proposed changes to the ordinance include allowing owners of pets to get their dogs back, pending an administrative hearing to determine if a dog is dangerous. The anticipated effect would be to save the county money for housing the dogs until a final determination is made while, at the same time, allowing officials ways to monitor the animals.
Dog owners would also be given seven days, instead of five, for a "due process" hearing to answer allegations that their dogs are dangerous, according to Drabek.
The dogs that are deemed dangerous would not end up on the county's website until after an administrative hearing. If a dog's owner decides to appeal the agency's ruling to the Orange County Superior Court, then the canine would not end up on the website until after that appeal is complete.
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