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Klamath County orders fines after dogs kill chickens; owner surrenders animals
Summary
At a county livestock hearing April 16, commissioners found two dogs belonging to Leonard Morgan guilty of killing 11 chickens, ordered civil penalties and restitution, and accepted the owner's surrender of the surviving dog.
Klamath County commissioners on April 16 found two dogs belonging to Leonard Morgan responsible for killing 11 chickens at a Bonanza property and voted to impose civil penalties and restitution.
The finding came after Animal Control presented an incident report and photographs documenting the March 14 attack at 2720 Market Street. An Animal Control officer told the board he responded to a complaint from Jennifer Foster, who reported that two dogs had entered her enclosure and “killed a bunch of chickens” and that one dog was shot. The officer said he observed the deceased animals, photographed the scene and located the surviving dog at 2660 Mina Street; the owner later surrendered that dog to Animal Control.
The hearing included sworn testimony from Ms. Foster and a witness, Jerry Keller. Foster described losing 11 light-brown chicks she had ordered from Iowa and said the birds were kept in enclosures that were breached. Keller testified that the dogs chewed holes in bird netting and attempted to rip chain-link fencing and posts. Photographs submitted at the hearing were described by commissioners as showing chickens inside an enclosure at the time of the attack.
Commissioners voted to find the dogs guilty of killing livestock. They then voted to impose civil penalties under state law and order restitution: a civil penalty of $500 per dog (total $1,000), restitution of $50 per chicken for 11 chickens ($550), plus $76 for replacement of damaged fencing and netting, for total fines and fees of $1,626. Commissioners also noted that the surviving dog had been surrendered and that the deceased dog had been collected by Animal Control.
County staff said the payment of restitution will be handled through Animal Control; the board instructed the complainant to work with Animal Control once the order is certified.
The board and staff discussed supervisory and enforcement issues for recurring animal complaints and emphasized that supervisors and Animal Control must follow up on repeat incidents. Commissioners also noted limits on the county's authority to recover certain damages and that additional remedies (civil or criminal) would follow statutory procedures if necessary.
The board closed the hearing after voting on the finding and fines.
