Mo. bill would make dog bites a crime

The Missouri House has passed a bill that would make it a misdemeanor when "uncontrolled" pets bite or attack people. The pet's owner could get 15 days in jail and a $300 fine for the first offense, six months and a $500 fine for a second one. This wouldn't apply in cases where someone teased the animal or tried to hurt it.

Comments

[cripjak]

Chiuaua owners take notice.

[kybo61]

In Kansas (at least in Wyandotte County), it is up to six months in jail, generally $500 for the first offense, but at the discretion of the judge up to $1,000 plus restitution. Owners can also be ordered into classes to teach them how to be a good dog owner. The dog is also quarantined for ten days (that's mandatory whether the dog has a current rabies/license or not). You pay for the privilege of having the dog quarantined -- if I recall correctly it is $15 per day. In other words it is completely ridiculous.

Also, you can be charged with "Vicious Dog" even if the person was on your property without permission AND the dog was tied up. I found that out the hard way. Because I knew the person and she was a neighbor, the judge decided that she was not trespassing i.e. "not behaving in an unlawful manner" even though she came into the yard without permission and fed the dogs CHICKEN BONES without permission (which caused my 21-pound dachshund to defend her bone and nip the person in the ankle).

I ended up having to pay a $175 quarantine fee including a pre-paid rabies voucher, a $300 doctor bill for a "wound" that I covered with a bandaid, and $80 to get my dog re-vaccinated because I could not find her papers (she had a tag) and the vet had gone out of business. That and $50 court costs every time I went to court, some five times over eight months and $80 to file an appeal in district court, which I lost. In the end I did not have to pay a fine but it still cost me over $800.

Moral of the story: Never, ever leave your dog outside unattended even if tied up; if you have a fence, lock the gates at all times -- in case you have a terminally stupid neighbor.

[Melissa K.]

How about MO passing a bill regarding puppy mills - the state has thousands of them. Don't know what a puppy mill is? Look it up and raise your voice to have these operations regulated.

[Jo Jo]

Melissa, where's your hubby Tom? What are your feelings on HSUS?

[Thomas]

The severity of the bite should also be included in the law. Many dogs will nip and not leave marks when they do so. If the owner isn't around, I could just tell the police the dog nipped me and the owner has to go to jail. Since there wouldn't be a witness against me, I'd likely be believed in the court of law. To make it more believable, I could just get a friendly dog to come up to me, put my hand in the mouth, then clamp the mouth down on the skin and take a picture of the marks afterwards. Many dogs in the countryside are free to roam and don't do damage. I'd hate to see where all the dogs in the rural areas have to be kept on chains and in fenced in areas.