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Dog attacks prompt Jackson County review of animal-control fines and definitions
Summary
After a reported attack on a 79-year-old resident and repeated complaints about free-roaming dogs, commissioners asked staff to review the county's animal-control ordinance, fines (currently $75 for dogs at large) and how to define a "vicious dog." No ordinance changes were adopted; commissioners took the matter under advisement.
Animal Control officer Maddy Ridlen and Sheriff Meyer briefed commissioners on a recent incident in which a 79-year-old woman was attacked by a pit bull and on recurring neighborhood complaints about free-roaming dogs. Ridlen and others described repeated violations by the same owners and said warnings often precede tickets. The minutes note the current fine for a dog at large is $75 and that some commissioners consider that insufficient to change behavior.
Commissioner Matt Reedy said the county needs a larger fine and a clearer definition of what constitutes a vicious dog. County Attorney Susan Bevers reported she reviewed ordinances from other counties and advised against defining vicious animals by listing breeds. Commissioners asked staff to circulate the existing ordinance language and return with recommended changes at a future meeting; no ordinance amendment was adopted at this session.
