Politics & Government

Sonoma Passes On New Vicious Dog Laws

Council favors extra money for spay/neuter clinics, community forum

Pit Bull advocates crowded the Sonoma City Council meeting Wednesday for an emotionally charged vote where the council declined to amend current vicious dog legislation—opting for a greater emphasis on informal outreach events and low cost spay/neuter programs instead.

Spurred by a violent incident in Pacifica where a 32-year-old woman was mauled and killed by her pet Pit Bull, Mayor Pro Tem Joanne Sanders asked of animal legislation, prompting a media free-for-all.  

 ‘Pit Bull bans’ have been enacted by other municipalities, but specific animal legislation is banned by the California food and Agriculture code, though the California Health and Safety Code allows cities to enact breed-specific ordinances, provided no particular breed is “declared potentially dangerous or vicious.”

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Currently, the Sonoma Municipal code requires dogs over 4-months-old to be licensed and vaccinated for rabies, with a 50 percent discount (from $30 to $15) if the dog has been spayed or neutered. The extra money from unaltered dogs is placed in a fund for low-cost spay and neuter clinics, administered by the Pets Lifeline Animal Shelter.  

To protect residents, the code mandates that owners contain all dogs—either on a less-than 8-foot leash or within their property—at all times. Owners of ‘known’ vicious dogs—including any dog who’s been involved in a biting offense—who violate the leash laws face misdemeanor fines, starting at $100 and moving to $500 or imprisonment up to 6 months for a fourth offense.

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Read the full Sonoma Municipal Code regarding animals here, and the full Sonoma County regulations here.

Still, dozens of animal advocates commented that further discussion might lead to unfair breed specific discrimination.

Leticia Circo, a Sonoma resident who owns an American Stratford Terrier, says that she’s felt unsafe while walking her friendly pit-bull breed dog around town.

“I think we need to be careful about continuing to put pit bulls in the media because we’re making the breed more attractive to the people that shouldn’t own them in the first place,” said Circo.

“We have one of the best records in the state if not the county of any dog bites and vicious dog attacks, we are a very responsible community with our animals,” said Nancy King, Executive Director of Pets Lifeline Animal Shelter, which as policy, advocates against breed-specific legislation.

Though Sonoma Police Chief Bret Sackett said that the department couldn’t recall a reported case of an attack or bite from a Pit Bull or Pit Bull-mix, many speculated that many bites and attacks go unreported.

“It’s like gun control, the people that are the problem…they aren’t registering their guns,” said City Councilman Tom Rouse.

Still, several neighbors urged the council go beyond its current animal safety tactics.

“I don’t feel like it’s my job to get educated, I feel like it’s my job to protect myself and my family and my children,” said Sonoma resident Jennifer Irving. “Unfortunately the skate park has also become a place where many have brought [pit bulls]…posing a threat to myself and my young kids.”

Though measures to change legislation failed to pass through the discussion phase, council members vowed to put more money towards low-cost spay/neuter programs and education programs –“not just on a Sonoma level but on a Valley level,” urged Councilman Steve Barbose.

“If we don’t do something these bad dog owners are going to ruin it for the good dog owners,” Sanders said. “If the one good thing that comes out of [these talks] is more money for spay and neutering, [even] if it’s not breed specific, I can live with that.”

An earlier version of this article listed American Staffordshire Terrier as 'Shefield.' We sincerely regret the error.


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