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Resident describes dog mauling; Parker council directs staff to draft stricter animal-control ordinance
Summary
A Parker resident told the council he was bitten by a large dog and said prior incidents at the same property went unresolved; council members pressed staff to tighten enforcement and asked the city attorney to draft an animal-control ordinance to return at a future meeting.
Charles Schultz, who identified himself as a Parker resident at 810 West Street, told the City Council he was attacked by a large black dog on Sept. 30 while walking near the lake and required stitches for a 4-by-2-inch wound. "The wound that I incurred is about 4 in by two inches required stitches," Schultz said, and later described the incident as "pretty severe." He said a dog from the same property had previously attacked someone on April 18, 2023, and that repeated citations and fines had not stopped dogs from running loose.
Schultz urged immediate action. "I stand here not as a victim but as a voice for change," he said, and asked the council to enforce leash and containment laws, require public reporting from animal control, and take permanent corrective action at the property.
Mayor Kelly acknowledged the city's limits. "I'm limited to what I could do as mayor," he told Schultz, saying staff and the police had responded to the most recent reports. Council members described animal-control steps taken on the day of the incident (including a bait trap and a 10-day holding period for the animal) and pressed for stronger tools to keep dogs from running at large.
Council debate centered on enforcement mechanisms and penalties. Council member Haney and others suggested sharply higher fines and attaching animal-control costs to an owner’s utility bill to encourage compliance: "We can do 500," Haney said when the idea of a $500 fine per offense was discussed. Other members said they wanted a firm ordinance the city could enforce rather than repeated after-the-fact citations.
Council did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting but directed staff and the city attorney to draft a stricter animal‑control ordinance and bring it back for consideration at a future meeting. Mayor Kelly said staff would prepare proposed language and return it to the council; Mr. Sloan (city attorney/staff) and the chief were asked to assist with legal and operational details.
The council also praised the quick response of animal-control officers and the fire department to the recent attack, while acknowledging gaps in the current law and enforcement resources. The council’s next step is a staff-drafted ordinance that will specify any new penalties, enforcement procedures, and billing mechanisms for animal-control responses.
