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Residents urge Benton County to amend Ordinance 37 to target behavior, not breed
Summary
Speakers at the Benton County Board of Supervisors meeting asked the board to revise Chapter 37 to allow earlier custody and disposition of dogs that attack or repeatedly trespass, proposing verification standards and owner financial responsibility; supervisors asked staff to research other counties' ordinances and the necessary procedural steps.
Kelly DeLong and family members urged the Benton County Board of Supervisors to revise Ordinance 37 to focus on animal behavior and mandatory custody after a serious attack, rather than penalizing dogs by breed.
DeLong told the board, "Ordinance 37 stands as one of the most outdated and just animal laws in the state of Iowa. It punishes dogs based on breed rather than behavior, promoting fear instead of fairness." She proposed that an animal that kills without provocation while off its owner’s property "shall be immediately taken into custody by animal control or law enforcement for evaluation."
Why it matters: Speakers said the current ordinance delays decisive action and leaves neighbors, children and other animals at risk. Leslie…
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