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City attorney advances draft to ban new canine hybrids, register existing animals as "dangerous"
Summary
City staff circulated a draft ordinance to bar new wolf/coyote hybrid (canine hybrid) ownership in Roanoke and to require owners of existing hybrids to register, obtain heightened licensing and meet containment standards; staff said registered animals would be treated like dangerous dogs and could be destroyed if they cause harm.
Roanoke’s city attorney presented a draft ordinance Wednesday that would prohibit new canine hybrids in the city and require existing hybrids to be registered, licensed and contained under rules similar to the city’s dangerous‑dog process.
City Attorney David Spencer said the draft focuses specifically on canine hybrids — commonly described in the briefing as wolf and coyote hybrids — and does not attempt to regulate all exotic animals. Spencer told council the draft follows models used in other Virginia localities and offers a “grandfathering” pathway for hybrids already in the city, subject to…
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