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Residents urge Covington County to act after roaming dogs kill livestock and injure a person
Summary
Residents told the Covington County Commission that neighbors' roaming dogs have killed four goats and attacked a dog and a person, and asked the commission to pursue enforcement; commissioners said local authority is limited and that expanded powers would require a citizen vote.
Chair called the meeting to order and opened the public-comment period, where John Westfall and Helen Horwood described repeated incidents of neighbors' dogs roaming onto private property and causing harm.
John Westfall said the animals had entered yards and that a person was bitten and required hospital treatment. "They came into my yard while we were all out there and jumped on my little dog and killed them," he said, asking the county to arrange pickup or a containment process for dangerous animals.
Helen Horwood, who identified herself as a neighbor with goats, described two separate attacks that killed four goats total. She said she filed two police reports but an officer never came to her property: "Neither time did an officer ever even come to my property," she said, and urged a locally enforceable remedy that holds owners accountable when animals threaten people and livestock.
Commissioner McGahay and other commissioners explained the county's legal constraints. Commissioner McGahay said existing local authority is limited by a framework described in the meeting as the county's "limited self governance" provisions, and that to gain ordinance authority the question would have to go before voters: "There is a pathway to give this body some authority in relation to dogs, but it goes to the citizens first," he said, noting a previous ballot measure had failed.
Commissioners discussed short-term options including working with the sheriff's office for response and said staff could draft possible ballot language for a future election if the commission wishes to pursue that route. No ordinance or emergency rule was adopted at the meeting.
The commission asked sheriff's office representatives present to meet with affected residents and attempt to work with the dog owners to reduce the immediate risk; commissioners said the earliest practical opportunity to place a county ordinance before voters would be a later scheduled election if the commission decides to proceed.
Next steps: commissioners asked staff to draft possible ordinance language and coordinate with the sheriff about immediate response procedures; residents were advised the matter remains largely a civil dispute until and unless voters authorize expanded county powers.
