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Collier looks to revamp its dangerous dog ordinance
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Naples resident Billy Summers is scarred from a dog bite.
He isn’t happy that Collier County law hasn’t protected him nor penalized his neighbor, the dog’s owner.
The dog wasn’t adequately registered, Summers said, adding that he isn’t even sure the dog had its shots.
“I’m concerned about rabies,” Summers told Collier County commissioners at a meeting this past week.
When he inquired, he said, he was told that the county’s Domestic Animal Services division has an extremely limited budget for such a large county.
“There are lots of animals. (Collier) has a population of animals at least half of what the human population is,” Summers said.
Additionally, he said, department workers aren’t well-trained for their jobs.
They couldn’t determine the difference between the bite of a small dog, and a bite of a large dog, Summers said.
Commissioner Jim Coletta said he asked Summers to address the County Commission.
“There are way too many dog attacks out in Golden Gate Estates, and other rural parts of the county,” Coletta said.
Animal Services has failed to conduct an educational outreach program, and perhaps the Collier County sheriff should get involved, Coletta said.
One can’t educate the dogs, but professionals can educate the owners, advocates said.
“You can’t put the owners in a cage (and) you can’t shoot them. At least, I don’t think we can,” Coletta said, half-joking. However, “you’re responsible if your dog creates injury.”
Amanda Townsend, interim director of Domestic Animal Services, agreed, noting that at the May 27 commission meeting, Collier leaders will see a slate of proposed changes to the ordinance on animal control.
Tentatively proposed in an April 17 memo between Townsend and Assistant County Attorney Colleen Greene, the following are among the revisions to the county’s Dangerous Dog Ordinance under consideration:
• Provide that any person who violates any provision of the Dangerous Dog Ordinance is guilty of a fine not to exceed $500. The violation will be issued by DAS officers and may be appealed to the county’s special magistrate in the same manner as a code enforcement violation.
• Add a strong definition of proper enclosure. The current ordinance provides that DAS will conduct a site visit prior to releasing a dangerous dog and issuing certification of registration, which allows DAS to confirm enclosure and that all other registration requirements are met.
• Provide that DAS may impound any dog under investigation if DAS has reason to believe that the owner is unable or unwilling to securely confine the animal during the investigation. The owner must allow DAS access to the dog to impound the dog during the investigation. The dog’s owner would be held responsible for all costs during impoundment unless the dog isn’t ultimately declared dangerous.
• Specifically provide for payment of all costs incurred to care for dangerous dogs, including those costs incurred when dog must be destroyed.
• Additional licensing fees, not exceeding $125, for an animal declared dangerous that is neither spayed or neutered.
• Require that dangerous dogs wear a muzzle when taken off its owner’s property. The muzzle must allow the animal to pant and drink.
• Require obedience training for dangerous dogs and their owners. The owner will be required to provide proof of training within 30 days from the date the animal is registered. Failure to provide proof of training will result in a fine.
• Failure to comply with all provisions of the ordinance could result in forfeiture of the ownership of the dog.
• Owners of dangerous dogs will not be allowed to adopt dogs in the future from DAS.
County government spokeswoman Camden Smith noted that these proposed changes were reviewed by the DAS Advisory Board, and a final document will be part of a future County Commission agenda.
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“I’m concerned about rabies,” Summers told Collier County commissioners at a meeting this past week.
Yes, you should be. The thing is that all animal bites to humans are reportable to the local health agency. In Collier County this is the CC Health Department. Animal control and that state/county agency will investigate the incident, put it into quarantine and refer you to your physician for an evaluation as needed.
Lee County recently had a family who picked up a sick bat (VERY DUMB idea) and they all needed rabies shots (expensive) because bats often carry rabies.
The FDOH site has good information about rabies and the risk for exposure.
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environmen...
#1 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on May 17, 2008 at 9:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More after-the-deed-is-done b.s.!
The people who own these dogs don't follow any of the existing rules as it is, who believes they will start now?
And what is this crap about "releasing dangerous dogs"? Why are they to be released after they have already committed a violent crime?
It is truly an education to witness the stupidity of all involved in this charade with dangerous dogs.
1. Put the dogs to death after the FIRST offense.
2. Jail the owners.
3. Make the fines as serious as the crime committed: in the thousands, not one hundred and twenty five dollars.
Finally, the only way to deal with this, since the county commissioners and the Sheriff's office are worthless appeasers and duty dodging cowards, is to put a referendum on the state ballot to outlaw Pit Bulls and jail their owners, period!
#2 Posted by greathornedlizard on May 17, 2008 at 9:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, the 20 year table by species at the website above is very interesting: Raccoons lead the way followed by fox, bats, and cats and dogs. Now if you don't vaccinate your dogs or cats and leave them outside with raccoons, fox and bats...you may have a problem.
Horses, cows and otters can be a problem too but are low risk animals in comparison to the raccoon. Check it out:
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environmen...
For those who panic when they think a squirrel could put them at risk a side note...although there is a "positive" result showing in 1961 the animal was not tested the same way they are now AND it was a "flying" squirrel which is not the same species as our usual grey or big Cypress fox squirrels. This was much discussed by those who researched the transmission risk to humans. AND at least one person has survived rabies. A young girl was hospitalized and put into a drug induced coma to prevent swelling of her brain. She lived and I believe suffered no deficits. Ah what fun searching the internet is and rereading some of my old journals and other literature is.
#3 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on May 17, 2008 at 9:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PITBULLS ARENT BORN DANGEROUS THEY ARE TAUGHT TO BE MEAN, WANTING TO PUT A BAN ON PITBULLS IS CRAZY! PITBULLS ARE VERY LOVING, AND LOYAL DOGS THEY MAY LOOK MEAN AND SOME MAYBE AGGRESIVE BUT THATS NOT THE DOGS FAULT IT'S THE OWNERS. IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT THE BREED OF DOG YOU HAVE.A MALTESE CAN BE TRAINED TO BE NASTY. STOP WITH THIS CRAZY PIT BULL CRAP!
#4 Posted by citygirl on May 17, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Like I said, sociopath pit bulls and their sociopath owners should be put to sleep.
#5 Posted by greathornedlizard on May 17, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Have any of you ever spent time with a pit bull? If you have then you would know that they are very affectionate dogs, they love humans and, because of that, they mind well and are easily trained. In 99% of dog bite cases the problem is not the dog, the problem is the owner(human). If any of you had an ounce of intelligence, you would do a little research before you write B.S. comments about something you know nothing about. Did you know that Cocker Spaniels have the highest recorded bite cases of any domestic animal? Yep. Get a clue.
#6 Posted by 3i3am3 on May 18, 2008 at 6:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ban PITBULLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#7 Posted by techie on May 18, 2008 at 7:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It used to be Germain Shepards, Then it was Doberman Pinchers, Rotwielers & Now it is Pitt Bulls. I wouldn't want to tangle with any of those dogs AFTER the owner trained them to be MEAN. But like city girl said They are not born Mean these dogs are trained to be MEAN.. I don't know what the answer is, But it's not the dog's fault it's the owners & how they train their dogs. It could be any breed.. My sister's poodles are MEAN...
#8 Posted by MrMeToo on May 18, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And years ago it was BAN GERMAN SHEPHERDS and BAN DOBERMAN PINSCHERS. It's fad and will pass just like it did with GSDs and Dobermans. What's scary is how many dogs are labeled as 'pit bull' that are not actually American Pit Bull Terriers. Anyone remember the Presa Canario mixes that killed Diane Whipple in California? Breaking news said that two pit bulls mauled a woman. There is nothing pit bull about those dogs and anyone with even a basic idea of what a pit bull is (35-50lb athletic working dog) would see that in an instant. The fact is that a majority of people have no idea what an actual pit bull is...including those that own them. Just for fun play Find the Pit Bull: http://members.aol.com/radogz/find.html. Blind, ignorant hate is a deplorable trait no matter who it is directed towards.
#9 Posted by gspfan404 on May 18, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I love that show, Happy Tails!, that DAS puts on.
I hope it doesn't get cancelled due to budget cuts.
#10 Posted by sunnidaz on May 18, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sure! Cocker Spaniels and Maltese are being compared to pit bulls by a couple of their sociopath owners trying to deny their criminal behavior.
Put the owners to sleep, since "it's not the dogs, it's the owners.."
#11 Posted by greathornedlizard on May 18, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Outlaw Pitbulls?!?! Who will eat all the feral cats?
#12 Posted by cupcake on May 18, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Citygirl - I'll take on the Cocker Spaniel and you take on the Pit Bull, then we will compare notes on dangerous animals. That's like comparing a cap pistol to a 44 magnum. One will iritate you, and maybe even frighten you, until you get a good look at it. The other will, and has, kill people.
#13 Posted by naplesdad on May 18, 2008 at 11:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Naplesdad - PERFECT argument ! Compare guns to dogs .... great !!! No, really ! the gun OWNER (or at least the PERSON IN CONTROL of the gun) had nothing to do with the killing. The gun JUMPED into the hand, pointed itself towards the "target", and fired. $%#@%, I HATE when that happens!!
I have been a gun owner for over twenty years, and the only things any of my guns have ever "killed" are targets and the occasional bottle. My gun wasn't "made" mean. I chose how to "raise" it.
I've also had a pit/mix for over a year and a half. I will admit, he does bark and sound vicious when someone comes to the door. As soon as he sees that a member of my family or I 'approve' of the visitor, he's the friendliest dog you'd ever meet. He may react differently if someone broke into our home, or tried to hurt me or a member of my family, but I would hope he'd protect us.
With that said, you and others like you have your OPINION about pit bulls, and those of us who own them know the TRUTH. You're not going to change our minds, and I don't imagine we'll change yours.
#14 Posted by knight1432 on May 18, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Collier county dog owners are some of the most irresponsible people I have ever seen. I have been chased by mean aggressive dogs in my own neighborhood and even at public parks where off the leash dogs were allowed to terrorize walkers and runners.
#15 Posted by doodlebug on May 18, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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