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Neosho resident urges changes to 'vicious dog' laws after two attacks on her children
Summary
At the council meeting a mother, identified as Krista Mosher, described two recent dog attacks on her children, said police fined and briefly quarantined animals but that incidents continued, and urged the council to consider changes to local 'vicious dog' statutes and enforcement options.
During the visitors business period at the Neosho City Council meeting, resident Krista Mosher detailed two incidents in which neighborhood dogs attacked her children and urged the council to consider changing local 'vicious dog' laws.
"So this is the absolute last thing that I would want to do today, but, I would not be able to live with myself knowing that there was anything more I could do to protect my child as well as others," Mosher said in her public comment.
She recounted an April incident in which a dog "bit Cruz on the ankle, drug him back," and said the owner was fined and the dog quarantined for a short period, but that the animal returned to the yard. Mosher described a second attack the previous Sunday involving a different dog, saying an owner intervened and members of her church assisted, but that the family continued to worry about safety when their children walk home from church.
Mosher said she filed police reports after both incidents and that "the chief of police called me after today" following her most recent report. She said officers told her more change in the law is required to enable additional action: "Laws need to change for us to be able to do more about that. Like, our vicious dog laws are really vague and there's nothing that they can do, which is so frustrating."
The presiding officer responded, "We will, take a look at that and reevaluate everything there," and thanked Mosher for bringing the matter to the council's attention. The meeting record contains no ordinance or formal motion on animal-control law changes; staff and council indicated they would review the concerns raised and follow up as appropriate.
No council action on animal-control ordinances was taken during the session. Mosher's remarks were recorded as public comment and the clerk noted that staff would examine the matter further.
