Park Ridge alderpersons were open to doing away with a regulation that forbids residents from keeping a pet that has been designated as “dangerous” if they live within 500 feet of a school or park. But they were more hesitant to adopt a rule that would establish a two-strike rule that would require a dangerous animal to be euthanized if it attacks someone a second time.
Both changes were recommended by the Park Ridge Animal Commission. It argued that the 500-foot limit isn’t effective, since a dog can cross that distance in seconds. It also noted that the pet owners whose pets were designated as dangerous face three similarly difficult options — putting their pet down, moving, or rehousing it, a tricky proposition given that animal shelters don’t take dogs that attack someone.
The two-strike rule would be an improvement for pet owners in this situation, since their pets would get a second chance, but the same won’t necessarily be true for pet owners who don’t have the distance issue.
During Monday’s (Aug. 19) meeting of the Park Ridge Procedures & Regulations commission, alderpersons agreed that removing the 500-foot limit is a good idea. But they expressed hesitation about the two-strike rule, saying that they wanted to see how other municipalities handle dangerous pets first. Since that was only a discussion item, no vote was taken.
Park Ridge municipal code currently defines “dangerous animals” as pets that attacked a person or another pet unprovoked and caused injuries. While the code doesn’t specify what kind of animal that is, the proposed changes were discussed with an assumption that this applied to dogs. There is one instance when dogs are mentioned specifically — dogs that are trained as guard dogs or attack dogs, that aren’t Park Ridge police department dogs, get that designation automatically.
The Animal Commission decides whether a pet gets that designation. If it does, the pet must be muzzled and kept on a leash at all times when outside its owner’s home, and it must receive an obedience training at the owner’s expense.
During Monday’s meeting, the commission members said it’s not a designation they give lightly. If there are less severe issues, the pet is designated as an “at-risk animal” first, but if the attack is severe enough, they go straight to “dangerous.”
“[There was a recent case] where a dog was at one of the outdoor restaurants, and another resident was walking by, and a dog just lunged and attacked that person and inflicted pretty severe bodily injuries,” Commissioner Kenneth Fletcher said.
“Some of those attacks, they’re trying to kill,” Commissioner Bruce Gilpin said. “They’re going for the face; they’re attempting to inflict as much damage as possible.”
Park Ridge Police Chief Robert Kampwirth said that the city decided to discuss regulations after two cases where the 500-foot limit came into play. The commissioners wanted to show some flexibility, but the law tied their hands.
In a letter to the city, attorney Steve Judge argued that the limit was arbitrary and “arguably unconstitutional.”
“Many families in our community have expressed their frustration with this ordinance, as it places undue burdens on them without tangible benefits,” he wrote. “We believe that responsible pet ownership, including proper training and confinement of animals, should be the focus rather than arbitrary distance restrictions.”
Mayor Marty Maloney asked whether the amended ordinance would make it easier to euthanize dogs. City attorney Adam Simon said that the city has the authority to euthanize dangerous animals after the first incident, but it seldom uses that authority.
Ald. Harmony Harrington (4th) said that she wanted to see the national standards for dangerous animal regulations. The federal government hasn’t historically made those regulations, leaving them up to the states and municipalities.
The other alderpersons said that they at least wanted to see how other municipalities are doing, asking the staff to do the research. No date has been set for when the alderpersons will revisit the issue.
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