[ SHOWGSD-L ] Virginia's Dangerous Dog Registry Now Active
- From: "Ginger Cleary" <cleary1414@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Showgsd-L@Freelists. Org" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:34:51 -0400
Ginger Cleary,Rome, GA ww.rihadin.com
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo
the fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine
Member GSDCA
Member Sawnee Mtn Kennel Club
GA Director Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States.
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Virginia's Dangerous Dog Registry Now Active
Associated Press
Jul 3, 2007
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Dee Dee is listed. So are Fototo, Buster and Griz.
The four are among the earliest entries to Virginia's dangerous dogs
registry.
The Roanoke-area dogs have been deemed dangerous by the courts or local
officials, which adds their names to a database allowing Virginians to
locate threatening dogs that may be prowling their neighborhood.
The registry was created by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services under legislation passed by the 2006 General Assembly. It
was part of a package of measures enacted following highly publicized
incidents in which dogs killed or maimed people.
The office of the state veterinarian will maintain the registry, which
will allow users to search by locality or ZIP code to locate dogs that have
been found to be dangerous. Owners of these dogs will also have to heed
other rules to keep their pet.
A check Tuesday of the registry found nine listings. Each included the
dog's name, its owner and address. Some listings provide photographs of the
offending animal.
The registry also includes a dossier on the dog. Buster, for instance, is
a 4-year-old male pit bull that has had his rabies shots and has been
neutered. It also lists a contact for the animal control officer.
Owners of dogs found to be dangerous also must confine the animal to a
shelter such as a fenced run; spay or neuter the dog; and post $100,000
liability insurance. When taken off the owner's property, the dog must be on
a leash and wearing a muzzle.
The state veterinarian, Dr. Richard Wilkes, said guessing the ultimate
number of dogs in the registry would be "a shot in the dark." He said new
state law, however, has clearly outlined what constitutes a dangerous dog,
eliminating any local inconsistencies.
A dog can been declared dangerous if it bites, attacks or causes any type
of injury to a person or an animal, provided the dog is not protecting its
owner, Wilkes said. Dogs assigned to police departments are exempt.
Wilkes said the registry is intended to inform neighbors and help parents
educate their children to be mindful of strange dogs.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals backed Virginia's efforts to
control dangerous dogs to encourage responsible ownership.
"This is a measure we see as protective of the dog as well as the
community at large," said Daphna Nachminovitch, director of PETA's domestic
animal department.
The registry and related laws involving dangerous dogs were primarily
inspired by the fatal mauling in March 2005 of an 82-year-old Spotsylvania
County woman by a neighbor's three pit bulls. Dorothy Sullivan was attacked
by the roaming dogs while walking her Shih Tzu, Buttons, in her front yard
in Partlow. Buttons was also killed.
Sullivan's family collected thousands of signatures on a petition
promoting stricter dog laws, ultimately resulting in legislation imposing
tough penalties on dog owners whose pets seriously injure others.
http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/dogs.shtml
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