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Suamico board adopts revised dangerous-dog ordinance with objective behavior criteria
Summary
The Suamico Village Board approved Ordinance 2025-02 on March 17, 2025, adding objective, level-based criteria to Chapter 11.23 to guide animal-control designations and appeals; the measure passed 4-1 in a roll-call vote.
The Suamico Village Board on March 17 adopted Ordinance 2025-02, amending Chapter 11.23 to add a more objective definition for dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs and to assist both the village's animal-control officer and the appeals committee.
Administrator Kaker and staff described the change as an addition of a definition and objective criteria that the animal-control officer and the public-health-and-safety committee can use when handling appeals. Trustee Romas said the new language helps remove subjectivity: "The thing I like about this edition ... D is an objective scale ... that's why I like that definition," referencing the ordinance's use of level-4 thresholds on established behavior scales.
Trustee Andrews moved to adopt the ordinance; Trustee McKeefrey seconded. During a roll call, Trustee Eckert recorded a dissenting vote; Trustee Stevens participated remotely and was unable to cast a vote. The roll call produced four ayes and one nay, and the ordinance carried 4-1.
The ordinance change was described as intended to make designations less subjective and to align the appeals process with the public-health-and-safety committee's review responsibilities. No amendments were offered at the board meeting, and the board's stated next step is to implement the revised ordinance as written.
The vote on March 17 was the ordinance's second reading; staff and trustees noted the change follows prior committee reviews and a board referral to the public-health-and-safety committee to refine definitions and the appeals process.
What happens next: the revised ordinance will remain in effect as the village's standard; appeals will proceed under the clarified definition and the committee's updated review process.
