Amendments to Vicious/Potentially Dangerous Dog Ordinances
By: O.C. Supervisor Pat Bates
The Board of Supervisors approved the first reading of the County’s Dangerous Dog Ordinance. OC Animal Care will utilize the ordinance to further assist in mitigating issues in Orange County related to aggressive dogs.
The primary updates to the ordinance were in relation to the definition of a vicious and dangerous dog. Aggressive dogs will now be defined by Levels 1, 2, and 3, which describe the severity of their aggressive behavior. This replaces the general category of potentially dangerous and vicious dogs. Additionally, the ordinance institutes a mandate on the agency that it seek destruction on all declared level 3 dogs, which are dogs that have killed or severely injured a human being or another domesticated animal without provocation. Continue reading