STARKVILLE — Oktibbeha County is one step closer to adopting a vicious-dog ordinance.
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors Tuesday held the first of two public hearings about the matter and presented a preliminary draft to roughly 25 citizens.
The preliminary ordinance laid out clear definitions for vicious animals and options Oktibbeha County sheriff”s deputies have to regulate vicious dogs.
Board President Marvell Howard said the ordinance was “70 percent complete,” sans fine structures, penalties and prosecution procedures that need to be authored by Oktibbeha County Prosecutor Roy E. Carpenter.
No one spoke against the ordinance, though some citizens questioned the effectiveness of a vicious-dog ordinance without instituting a leash law or a nuisance section to give the county greater preventative measures.
Tuesday”s hearing generated multiple ideas Howard said will help tailor the ordinance for the next public hearing. Howard particularly identified the nuisance idea, which would allow citizens to report dogs that are trespassing on private property or have damaged property without having threatened people. A nuisance section to the ordinance would also give the OCSO another opportunity to make its own determination of an animal”s temperament or threat to residents.
“I was encouraged about the feedback we got from our citizens,” said Howard, who anticipated negative reaction over the ordinance. “The citizens have told us they want to make sure we”ve got a document that will not only punish the owners in case an incident occurs, but also have something that will prevent an incident from occurring. We got some wonderful suggestions on what might make this a better document.”
Howard said the date of the next public hearing hasn”t been determined. After the next hearing, the board will have a recess meeting to discuss the ordinance and then vote to adopt the final draft.
The preliminary ordinance clearly defines a vicious dog as any dog that approaches people, whether on public or private property, in an “unprovoked or terrorizing manner.” Additionally, any dog that “bites, inflicts injury or assaults” a human or domestic animal without provocation is considered vicious.
Once animals are deemed vicious by the OCSO, owners must keep them vaccinated and confined at all times, either indoors or in a locked pen suitable to prevent entry of young children. Owners will have also have to register their dog with the OCSO, which will keep a log of the dog”s breed, sex, age, color and identifying marks.
The ordinance also grants Oktibbeha County Sheriff”s deputies the right to shoot a dog if they deem it a threat to a human. Deputies may eliminate a vicious dog without having to catch or restrain it.
Some county residents who”ve had incidents with vicious dogs, particularly pit bulls, initially wanted greater clarification on when a dog “threatens” someone and is then categorized as vicious.
Richard Hester said he”s had two animals killed by pit bulls. Recently, five different pit bulls started roaming around his home, preventing his kids from playing outside and his oldest daughter from jogging her normal route.
“I feel threatened, but they haven”t showed their teeth yet,” Hester said of the dogs.
Mactoc Farm farmer Bill McGee lauded the board”s swift action to draft an ordinance following the Aug. 13 pit bull attacks on Self Creek Road that sent two children to the hospital and resulted in aggravated assault charges for three people.
In July 2010, five of McGee”s dairy heifers were killed by a roaming pack of pit bulls while a half-dozen others were injured. Without an enforceable leash law, there”s no way to prevent an attack, McGee said.
“A solution is a leash law in the county,” McGee said, “so if they”re not contained (the Oktibbeha County Sheriff”s Office) can take care of it. I”m not in a position to carry guns all the time to shoot dogs. I”m trying to figure out a way to keep dogs contained.”
Enforcing a leash law in the county would be next to impossible due to the size of the area and the current resources, District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson said.
The working ordinance didn”t outline how the OCSO will work with the Starkville Police Department”s animal control officers once adopted. Currently, the OCSO responds to calls about vicious dogs and asks for the SPD”s help in catching and/or transporting dogs. Jackson said it”s impossible to know what kind of additional manpower and trained personnel the OCSO would need until they know they know how many vicious dog calls they receive.
“Whatever we do is going to be asking a lot of our deputies,” Jackson said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
