Skagit County delays final vote on dangerous-dog code changes, leaves public comment open through June 27

Skagit County commissioners on June 10 heard a proposal to revise Skagit County Code Chapter 7.06 governing potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs and voted to keep the public comment period open through June 27 before final action.

The proposed changes, presented by Jalan Spasov, Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, would remove an intermediate review step by the sheriff and allow an animal-control officer or other designated county employee to make determinations that a dog is potentially dangerous or dangerous. Spasov said the revisions also clarify appeal procedures, impoundment notice timing and other administrative processes.

Spasov said the draft increases administrative efficiency and clarifies the county's options for impoundment and redemption. "An owner has 20 calendar days to appeal a determination by the animal control officer," he said, and the updated determination form includes a service certification to document when the 20-day appeal period begins.

Why it matters: County staff said the change…