LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Sean McCann today introduced bills that would provide guidelines for dangerous dog owners and protect those who come into contact with the animals.
Senate Bills 1231 and 1232 would provide a framework for determining which dogs are dangerous and require their owners to take steps to protect people from them — including children, pedestrians, letter carriers, utility workers and animal control officers.
“Had this bill been law, the tragic death of a jogger in Lapeer County could have been prevented since previous complaints had been made against the dogs that attacked him,” said Sen. McCann, who is continuing the work he started on this issue in 2014 as a State Representative. “We need to prevent dogs with violent histories from attacking again and hold their owners accountable for their animal’s aggressive behavior.”
Vicious attacks on letter carriers, students, and other individuals who encounter dangerous dogs still occur far too frequently. In Kalamazoo, a letter carrier was violently mauled in 2012, underscoring the need for long overdue and stronger dog controls.
“I was a dog owner, and I love dogs and all animals, but this legislation and the guidelines it would establish is a necessary protection we need in our society,” Sen. McCann said. “I would rather be strategic in protecting the public at large from dogs that exhibit specific troubling behaviors rather than discriminating against certain breeds of dogs.”
The legislation represents Sen. McCann’s commitment to the safety of community members who may meet dogs that are potentially dangerous, and specifically would not affect:
- Hunting and livestock guard dogs acting as expected;
- Dogs that attack trespassers;
- Dogs that attack people who are in the act of committing a crime;
- Dogs that attack their owner(s) or family member(s);
- Dogs that attack people tormenting them or attacking other animals who attacked the dog first; and,
- Other instances that would excuse aggressive behavior.
“I certainly hope my colleagues in the Michigan Legislature can see the value of us being proactive on this issue, rather than reactive,” Sen. McCann added. “I look forward to working with them on advancing these bills through the legislative process so that we keep more people safe from unexpected dog attacks, especially when it comes to dogs with known aggressive tendencies.”
###