|
September 1, 2009 continued NEW ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE HAS TEETH (continued) The revamped ordinance, prompted by the near-fatal attack March 28 on Getford Road, includes stiffer penalties for owners of animals that cause injuries or property damage, potentially $10,000 for attacks that inflict severe physical injury. The ordinance does not ban any breeds. "This has nothing to do with pit bulls," Lake County Animal Services Director Marjorie Boyd told the Orlando Sentinel. "This is about owners being responsible for their animals. They have to control them." Tracy Lindsey, 23, a mother of two girls, was jogging near her home March 28 when she was mauled by a neighbor's pit bulls, Hercules and Junior. She has endured multiple surgeries to repair her right arm and shoulder and her left leg. County Commissioner Elaine Renick, whose sister was attacked by a dog many years ago, was outraged when she discovered that the maximum fine imposed on the dogs' owner under the existing ordinance was a paltry $168, including court costs. The new ordinance also changes the process for prosecuting animal attacks. The county previously filed animal complaints in county court, a procedure that often was time-consuming for animal-control officers and sometimes expensive for the county. Complaints will now be heard as code violations, a process that eliminates filing fees and allows the county to reap fines or proceeds of penalties imposed by a hearing officer. |
