The Chillicothe City Council is considering changes to their vicious dog ordinance that currently prohibits certain dog breeds. The City Attorney, Robert Cowherd led the discussion at Monday’s council meeting. He briefly explained the current 205 ordinances on dogs and vicious dogs.
Cowherd says the city has several options. The first is to leave the ordinance unchanged.
The council discussed the options and concerns. They also heard from several people in attendance about the proposed changes. Most were in favor of eliminating the breed-specific portion of the ordinance.
Under the proposed changes, a dog would be considered vicious if it had attacked or bitten a person or other animal without warning. There are other qualifiers as well. If found to be vicious, the owner would have additional restrictions they must follow for the animal.
Mayor Theresa Kelly is asking the public to contact their council representatives and express their opinion on the proposed changes.
