Dangerous dog committee to meet for first time in 20 years

Sault Ste. Marie's dangerous dog committee will meet Monday for the first time since 2001.

The committee is to hear an appeal of a dangerous dog designation issued on Apr. 28 to a male brown-and-white Staffordshire terrier named Stark.

The videoconferenced hearing is expected to be adjourned until a future date to allow Stark's owner, Mike Bryson of Doncaster Road, to attend.

The rarely convened committee hears appeals from dog owners who've been served with a notice of dangerous dog designation.

The committee's decision on whether to rescind or substitute the determination is final.

The city's Animal Care and Control Bylaw states: "Where the pound keeper or an officer becomes aware either on its own initiative or as a result of a complaint received by it that a dog, without provocation, bite or attacked or chased or approached a person or domestic animal in a menacing fashion, the pound keeper may serve a dangerous dog notice."

Whenever a dangerous dog is not in the owner’s dwelling unit, but still within the boundaries of the owner’s premises, it must:

• wear a muzzle
• be securely tethered
• be contained within an area securely enclosed by a locked fence of an appropriate height, or an area enclosed by other means such that the dangerous dog cannot come into contact with members of the public
• a sign, no smaller than five inches by seven inches, must be displayed at all entrances to the property upon which the dog is kept, warning that there is a dangerous dog on the property

When a dangerous dog is not on the owner’s premises, it must be kept muzzled, and on a leash not exceeding two metres in length.

Dangerous dogs must be spayed or neutered, and implanted with a microchip at the owner's expense.

Dangerous dogs not complying can be subjected to procedures including euthanization.