Local News in Brief : Tough Dog Law Voted In
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Dogs who are found to be vicious--even though they haven’t bitten anyone--can be destroyed, the Long Beach City Council decided Tuesday night.
The council unanimously voted after a hearing to amend the animal control law, despite concerns by Councilman Tom Clark that dogs “may snarl or bark, and have every indication of being vicious, but not be vicious.”
City Manager James Hankla said that impounded dogs that haven’t bitten anyone, but show signs of viciousness, would be subject to a hearing by animal control officials, who may rule that the animal must be destroyed.
Currently a dog would be destroyed usually only after it bit a person.
The change is expected to affect only a handful of the 60,000 dogs in the city. The changes were made at the request of Vice Mayor Warren Harwood, who asked for a review of local laws after several pit bull attacks in California last year.
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