Sunday, June 23, 2013

Vicious Dog in Coto de Caza Reported to Animal Control

LETTERS


 
June 23, 2013

On the evening of June 22, 2013 my two teenage children were out walking our three dogs on a leash in front of our house in Coto de Caza Orange County.  At one point out of the blue my neighbor’s  dog viciously attacked one of my dogs and caused him some very severe bites and injuries. This was not the first time this dog has displayed and exhibited erratic and vicious behavior in the neighborhood. My family and I can’t even sit quietly in our back yard without having this dog continually growl and menace us. This has been going on for several years with absolutely no recognition or action on the part of the dog’s owner to stop such menacing behavior. His response to my complaints about the dog’s vicious behavior is that “If I were nicer to the dog he wouldn’t  behave that way”….

Suspected vicious dog

B
Injured dog


After two years of this kind of nasty menacing vicious behavior this dog finally bit and injured one of my dogs in front of my house. He was being walked by a “dog sitter” who had no control over this dog whatsoever. He was on a leash but the leash was over 20 feet long so it couldn’t stop this dog from attacking and biting one of my small dogs. 

After the incident my wife had to take my dog to the vet where he had to stitch up the dog’s wounds and give him some sedating medicine. A photograph of those wounds is attached for your review. Also attached are photographs of my small dog and the attacking dog ( black and white in color) who bit him. Note the huge disparity in size of both animals. This is a case of a huge bullying dog attacking a small victimized dog for no reason.

Under Orange county law which I am citing below it requires the following when a person or another dog is viciously attacked and injured by a dog without any provocation or reason. I hope you will follow this law to the letter and order that this dog be removed from the neighborhood where he presents  clear and present danger to the community.

Sincerely,

William Kirkendale





Orange County Dog Bite Laws
Dog Bite Resource Center
Sec. 4-1-95.

Declaration and possession of vicious or potentially dangerous dog.

General Provisions.

If the Director has cause to believe that a dog is a "vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog" within the meaning of section 4-1-23, he or she may tentatively find and declare such dog a "vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog."

Upon tentatively finding and declaring that a dog is a "vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog," the Director shall notify the owner and/or custodian in writing of his or her tentative finding and declaration.
The notice shall inform the owner and/or custodian of such dog that he or she may request a hearing in writing before the Director within five (5) working days of receipt of such notice to contest the tentative finding and declaration. Any such hearing shall be requested and conducted as provided in subsection (d) of this section.

Failure of the owner and/or custodian to request a hearing pursuant to subsection (a)(3) of this section shall result in the declaration becoming final.

The possession or maintenance of a "vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog," or the allowing of any such dog to be in contravention of this division, is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. The director is hereby authorized and empowered to impound and/or abate any "vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog" independently of any criminal prosecution or the results thereof by any means reasonably necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the public, including, but not limited to, the destruction of the dog or by the imposition upon the owner and/or custodian of specific reasonable restrictions and conditions for the maintenance of the dog. The restrictions and conditions may include but are not limited to:

Obtaining and maintaining liability insurance in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) against bodily injury or death or damage to property and furnishing a certificate or proof of insurance by which the Director shall be notified at least ten (10) days prior to cancellation or nonrenewal or, at the owner's or custodian's option, the filing with the Director of proof of a bond in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars (100,000.00), to be able to respond in damages.
Requirements as to size, construction and design of the dog's enclosure.
Location of the dog's residence.
Requirements as to type and method of restraints and/or muzzling of the dog.
Photo identification or permanent marking of the dog for purposes of identification.
Requirements as to the posting of a warning notice or notices conspicuous to the public warning persons of the presence of a vicious dog.

Payment of a fee or fees as established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors to recover the costs of enforcing the provisions of [this] article 6, division 1 of title 4 of this Code as applied to the regulation of vicious dogs.
The Director may also order the owner or custodian to post and keep posted upon the premises where such dog is kept under restraint, a warning notice pending such impoundment and/or abatement hearing and decision by the Director. The form, content and display of such notice shall be specified by the Director. Any hearing under this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with subsection (d) of this section.
Immediate Impoundment.

When, in the opinion of the Director, immediate impoundment is necessary for the preservation of animal or public health, safety or welfare, or if the dog has been impounded under other provisions of this Code or State law, the pre-impoundment hearing shall not be required; however, the owner or custodian shall be given written notice allowing five (5) working days from receipt of such notice to request in writing an abatement hearing. If requested, a hearing shall be held within five (5) working days of receipt of the request by the Director and the dog shall not be disposed of prior to the decision of the Director following such hearing. A hearing under this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with subsection (d) of this section except as otherwise indicated. If, after five (5) working days following receipt of such notice, no written request for a hearing is received from the owner or custodian, the dog in question shall be disposed of under applicable provisions of law.

Change of Circumstances. In the event of changed circumstances, the Director may amend or rescind any abatement and/or impoundment imposed pursuant to subsection (a)(5) of this section. Any such revision to the abatement and/or impoundment due to changed circumstances shall be subject to the same notice, hearing and other procedural requirements as required for imposing an initial abatement and/or impoundment set forth in subsections (b), (c) and (d) of this section.

Change of Ownership, Custody and/or Residence. Owners of a vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog who sell or otherwise transfer the ownership, custody or residence of the dog shall at least ten (10) days prior to the sale or transfer, inform the Director in writing of the name, address and telephone number of the new owner, custodian and/or residence and the name and description of the dog. The owner shall, in addition, notify the new owner or custodian in writing of the details of the dog's record, terms and conditions of maintenance and provide the Director with a copy thereof containing an acknowledgment by the new owner or custodian of his or her receipt of the original. The Director shall notify the new owner or custodian in writing of any different or additional restrictions or conditions imposed pursuant to subsection (a)(5) of this section as a result of the change of ownership, custody or residence. The imposition of any such different or additional restrictions or conditions shall be subject to the same notice, hearing and other procedural requirements as required for imposing an initial abatement and/or impoundment set forth in subsections (b), (c) and (d) of this section.

 It is unlawful to have custody of, own or possess a vicious dog or potentially dangerous dog within the meaning of section 4-1-23 unless it is restrained, confined or muzzled so that it cannot bite, attack or cause injury to any person.

Declared Vicious Dog or Potentially Dangerous Dog.

It shall be unlawful for the owner and/or custodian of a dog declared vicious or potentially dangerous pursuant to subsection (a) to fail to comply with any requirements or conditions imposed pursuant to subsection (a)(5) of this section. If a vicious or potentially dangerous dog escapes, the owner and/or custodian shall immediately notify the Director and make every reasonable effort to recapture it.

The Director shall have the discretion, in any event, to directly petition the court to seek a determination whether or not the dog in question should be declared potentially dangerous or vicious. The Director shall follow the procedures set forth in Food and Agriculture Code Sections 31621 and following for this purpose.

(Ord. No. 2836, § 7, 5-6-75; Ord. No. 2908, § 1, 5-4-76; Ord. No. 3693, § 3, 3-22-88; Ord. No. 98-15, § 33, 12-8-98)




 
We assert that fundamental transformation of America is as easy as eating an elephant.  Starts with one school district at a time.

If you wish to restore America, send your letters to the CotoBuzz Journal’s Editor:

If you would like to make a comment about a specific news article, editorial or commentary and have it considered for publication in the CotoBuzz Journal as a Letter to the Editor, please send it to cotoblogzz@gmail.com 

Letters should be brief, and may be edited 
for clarity and length.. They become the property of CotoBuzz Journal  and may be republished in any format. 

Please include your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number (your number will not be published).

No comments: