County Restricts Vicious-Dog Owners

A law that makes it harder for owners of vicious dogs to obtain another canine won approval Tuesday from the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

``I'm pleased it was passed because, in effect, it will provide protection to the public ... when there are repeat incidents in the community'' with vicious dogs, said Supervisor Patricia Bates.

She introduced the ordinance last month, after residents in a Trabuco Canyon neighborhood complained that a pit bull owner had used his pet to ``terrorize'' and ``intimidate'' his neighbors.

One Trabuco Canyon resident told supervisors at their June 26 meeting that, in March 2011, a neighbor's pit bull got loose and attacked another neighbor and a dog. OC Animal Care's attempts to impound the pit bull were confounded by the owner, who kept hiding the canine, she said.

When the dog was finally tracked down and impounded, the owner just got another pit bull, the resident said. The impounded dog was eventually returned to
the owner, ``and now [he] had two pit bulls,'' she said, adding that the original dog later jumped a fence and attacked another canine.

Ryan Drabek of OC Animal Care said the ordinance will be ``an excellent tool'' because it gives the agency the authority to prohibit a scofflaw from owning another dog if one of their pets is declared dangerous.

Under current law, when a dog is declared vicious or dangerous, the county can impose restrictions such as forcing owners to house the pet in a dog run or posting a ``beware of dog'' sign.

The board voted 4-0 for the ordinance. Supervisor Janet Nguyen was absent.

- City News Service

Correction: A previous version of this story used an incorrect last name for Ryan Drabek of Animal Care.

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