Owners of dogs determined dangerous would be required to follow strict protocols to protect the community
LANSING, Mich. (January 11, 2023) — Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) today reintroduced previously proposed legislation to address dangerous dog owners and protect individuals who encounter dangerous dogs. Senator McCann has worked on this issue since 2014 when he was a State Representative.
Senate Bills 683 and 684 target dog behaviors, rather than specific breeds, and provide a framework for determining which dogs are dangerous. The bills specify the required steps for owners to take to protect people if their dog is determined to be potentially dangerous or dangerous by district court magistrate, district court or municipal court.
“As an animal lover and former dog owner, I believe these bills are crucial to help implement protective guidelines to keep our community members and other domestic animals safe while making owners of dangerous dogs accountable,” Sen. McCann said. “We have unfortunately seen far too many instances of loss of life and severe injuries to people. Dogs that have a violent history also present an increased risk of future attacks. These bills will attempt to prevent attacks from happening in the first place.”
Attacks by aggressive dogs still occur frequently, with some victims suffering serious damage and bodily harm. In 2010 and again in 2012, Laura Blanchard, a Kalamazoo letter carrier, was violently mauled on her route. She ended up leaving her job after suffering serious injuries and has since advocated for better dog controls so that other letter carriers could remain safe and feel protected while on the job. In 2014, a jogger in Lapeer County, Craig Sytsma, was mauled and killed by a dog.
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