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Maysville reviews revised —vicious dog' ordinance; officials weigh penalties and state alignment
Summary
City attorney Kelly Cottle presented a draft rewrite of Maysville's vicious-dog ordinance, proposing separate tracks for "dangerous" animals and "vicious dogs," and commissioners asked staff to clarify definitions and examine alignment with 2024's House Bill 258 (Ethan's Law) before returning a final draft.
City Attorney Kelly Cottle told the Maysville Board of Commissioners on Jan. 22 that she had drafted a rewritten vicious-dog ordinance modeled in part on Mason County's language and adapted into city terminology. The draft separates rules for broadly "dangerous animals" (for example, wild hogs or constrictors) from a separate, specific framework governing dogs deemed "vicious." Cottle described the document as a starting point and asked for input from law enforcement and commissioners.
Cottle cited the ordinance's proposed penalty structure and the practical limits of enforcement in district court: "A class 1 violation is a fine of 100 to $500 and imprisonment up to 60 days," she said, noting that Mason District Court can only impose fines up to $500. "I don't think we've had discussion about beefing up fines ... but ... we can't find more than $500 because ... the district court can't even enforce that because the most they can fine is 500," she said, urging that the penalties be refined with enforcement realities in mind.
Commissioner Boone urged staff to align local language with state law, citing House Bill 258 from 2024 (commonly called "Ethan's Law") that streamlines prosecutorial authority in neglect-related cases. Boone said the council should consider incorporating similar clarity at the local level "just if anything, just for sake of clarity at the local level from a process standpoint." Boone also criticized some proposed definitions as imprecise: words such as "propensity" and "tendency," he said, feel "slippery" and could be hard to prove.
Cottle said she would take suggested changes under advisement, incorporate law-enforcement feedback and circulate revised language. Commissioners did not vote on the ordinance at the special meeting; staff were directed to continue revisions and return with a draft for further consideration and review by county and city law enforcement.
Why it matters: The board is seeking clearer, enforceable local rules to reduce confusion for officers in the field and to ensure local penalties conform with judicial limits and prosecutorial practice. The revision could affect how dangerous animals and aggressive dogs are handled and enforced in Maysville.
What's next: City Attorney Kelly Cottle will revise definitions and penalty language, consult with law enforcement including the county sheriff's office, and return a revised ordinance for review.
