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Twin Lakes dogs that bite someone trespassing on the property where the dog lives have been given a chance to have their action defended after a change in the village’s dog control ordinance.
The changes were first discussed at a Committee of the Whole meeting earlier this month. Trustee Thomas Connolly said he felt the ordinance was flawed because a dog that bit someone trespassing on the property where the dog lived could still be designated vicious and possibly removed from the village.
Village administrator David Cox and police Chief Dale Racer worked on modifying the ordinance to in effect give some “leeway†to dogs that might have been defending themselves, their owners or property on the property where the dog lives, Cox explained. The ordinance says a dog will not be declared vicious when it bites a trespasser, was teased or was defending a human being. Law enforcement dogs on official duty also are exempt.
The size of a sign that can be required for dogs that are declared vicious also was changed by the board from the draft version of the law. The ordinance now calls for a 10×14 inch sign.
