Des Moines, IA: D.M. tables plan to change vicious dog rules (additional BSL dropped)

Des Moines already has BSL, and because it’s not working very well, the city council considered making the breed-specific ordinance even more strict. These plans have now been tabled (put on hold indefinitely).

Previous alerts for Des Moines: http://stopbsl.com/?s=des+moines

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091124/NEWS/911240357/1001/NEWS/D.M.-tables-plan-to-change-vicious-dog-rules

D.M. tables plan to change vicious dog rules

By JASON PULLIAM • jpulliam@dmreg.com • November 24, 2009

A proposal to increase fees to license so-called vicious dogs has been tabled by the Des Moines City Council.

Council members called for more public input and time to study whether the fees and other proposed changes to the city’s vicious dog ordinance would have worthwhile results.

“The responsible dog owner will comply with all of this,” Councilwoman Christine Hensley said. “It’s the nonresponsible dog owner. How do we deal with them?”

City officials in recent months have debated whether to change a 22-year-old ordinance that classifies pit bulls as vicious by breed, in addition to animals that are declared vicious because of behavior. A string of recent incidents involving pit bulls prompted city leaders to scrutinize whether regulations should be changed.

City officials have called for a mix of tougher license fees, insurance requirements and owner training to improve Des Moines’ vicious-dog ordinance and reduce the number of attacks.

Skeptics contend the measures under consideration will do little to prevent attacks and will punish responsible owners.

“You’re not giving credit to responsible owners,” said Cindy Holliday, director of the volunteer citizens group All Dogs All People Together for Des Moines, or ADAPT4DSM.

Holliday and others want breed-specific language that labels pit bulls as vicious removed from the city code.

City officials had considered a pit bull ban, but “we weren’t sure we would be successful if we went that way,” said Assistant City Manager Randy Wetmore.

Under the pending proposal, vicious-dog license fees would be increased to $35 from $15 for spayed and neutered dogs and $55 for dogs that are not altered.

Other requirements under consideration include:

- Requiring owners of vicious dogs to show proof that the animals are microchipped at the time they are licensed.

- Banning owners of vicious dogs that are found running at large three or more times in a three-year period from owning any vicious dog for five years.

- Requiring training for vicious-dog owners if their dogs are not properly leashed or confined.

Skeptics say city officials need to focus on making sure that dogs declared vicious because they were involved in an attack are properly confined.

“Certain breeds that we have listed in our breed-specific ordinance guarantee that the dogs we’re worried about will never be socialized, or trained, vaccinated or (receive) proper veterinary care because people are hiding them,” said Dana Fedman, a licensed dog trainer who has called upon city leaders to reconsider breed-specific language.