Supe Wasserman Helps Enact Policy to Hold Dog Owners More Accountable

Rather than enacting an ordinance mandating the spaying and neutering of pit bulls and other potentially dangerous dogs, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors adopted policies this past week that would hold their owners accountable for their canines' actions.

According to Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman, the board approved staff’s recommendation to institute measures aimed at reducing the incidence of bites by aggressive dogs, including increasing the scope of the “free” spay/neuter program for large-breed dogs and to establish an educational pilot program in elementary schools to teach children how to act around dogs.

Other measures taken, according to Wasserman, included amending existing county ordinance relating to aggressive dogs to require a dog deemed under law to be potentially dangerous to be restrained by someone at least 18 years old and with the physical capability of controlling the animal when it is outside of its approved kennel.

The former Los Gatos mayor explained the board also increased the amount of public liability insurance owners of such dogs must have from $50,000 to $100,000.

Also, the board decided that it would only take one time for a dog, when unprovoked, to kill, seriously bite or injure a domestic animal off the property of the owner/guardian to be declared “potentially dangerous,” rather than two separate occasions.

"There are a number of factors that go into a dog’s tendency to bite, and we learned through staff’s research that the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for one breed of dog would probably not be as effective in lowering the number of dog bites as would a combination of these other measures that we put in place," Wasserman said. "My own research showed that, according to the Applied Animal Behavioral Science Journal, the dogs most likely to bite are dachshunds."

He added: "I supported the recommended changes to our existing ordinance and the voluntary measures that we enacted, because I think it’s a better way to address the problem of dog bites, and our goal is to be as effective as we can.”

Supervisors were reacting to recent dog attacks against Santa Clara County residents.

"We shouldn't wait for a more serious tragedy to strike in our unincorporated areas before we react," said Supervisor Ken Yeager. "The more we can be proactive, the better off we'll be."

Last month a pair of dogs attacked 66-year-old Dawn Wilson and her white Siberian husky as they were taking a walk at Cataldi Park in San Jose. The dogs bit Wilson on the front and back of her hands, on her wrist and on her face.

She was treated for minor lacerations and severe bites at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs hospital and was released, but Shadow, her husky, suffered a broken leg and broken jaw. He was euthanized at an emergency veterinary clinic in Fremont.

Currently, county staff is authorized to declare a dog as "potentially dangerous" if it displays a pattern of aggression toward people or other animals.

The goal is to identify dangerous dogs sooner and require owners to take preventative measures, such as proper home confinement, use of a leash and muzzle by someone who can handle the dog during walks.

An estimated 20,300 dogs reside in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Animal Care and Control investigates around 110 reports of dogs biting humans every year, and nearly one to two of those bites are unprovoked and severe.

Karen Johnson, chair for the Animal Advisory Committee in Santa Clara County, addressed the board and spoke against the idea of a mandatory ordinance aimed at one dog type.

"There is a people problem, not a dog problem," Johnson said. "All dogs can bite. Dog training is key, as well as education of parents not to leave children unattended with dogs no matter what the breed or size of the dog."

The board will return to this issue to discuss the language for the new ordinances, and the law will take effect 60 days after that discussion.

Wasserman represents county supervisorial District 1, which includes Los Gatos, Gilroy, Almaden Valley, Santa Teresa, Blossom Valley, Morgan Hill, San Martin and the Mt. Hamilton Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The district's population is more than 340,000 and encompasses 70 percent of county land.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report