After recent dog attacks in Raleigh, city leaders are considering stricter dangerous dog ordinances.
Raleigh City Council member Mary-Ann Baldwin said because of the severity of recent attacks, the city staff is working with the city attorney’s office to determine if changes should be made to existing ordinances or if the problem is one of enforcement.
“You have people living in their neighborhoods who are afraid to leave their homes because they’re afraid that these dogs will get out again and terrorize them,” she said.
The Raleigh City Council discussed the issue recently and is set to discuss the topic again Nov. 10.
Baldwin said tweaks to Raleigh’s local dangerous dog ordinance two years ago were not enough to fix the problem.
“The big question for us is why are these dogs being returned to their owner if they’ve bitten other animals, people or been aggressive, and that’s the issue we’re trying to resolve,” she said.
Bob Marotto, director of Orange County Animal Services, said like Raleigh, Orange County operates under a North Carolina general statute for dangerous dog regulations and local county ordinances.
In Orange County, after an aggressive incident or bite has occurred, the animal control staff reviews the case and decides whether a declaration is warranted for a dog to be considered dangerous, he said.
Marotto said once a dog is declared dangerous, the owners are notified and must follow regulations like placing the dog in a secure and enclosed area if it's left unattended, and muzzling and leashing the dog if it's let out of the secured area.