Vicious Dog Legislation

April 1, 2005

Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier on Tuesday will introduce legislation focusing on the role of the County’s Department of Animal Services in dealing with vicious dogs. In the aftermath of this week’s tragic attack on a young boy in the city of Concord by vicious pit bulls, the Supervisor seeks to determine how well the County responded to earlier complaints and would like to determine what possible steps could be taken in the future to avoid such incidents. He will ask the members of Contra Costa’s Sacramento delegation to look at the creation of legislation to prohibit those on parole or probation from possessing vicious animals.

“We need to insure that we are doing all in our power to oversee the safety of our streets and neighborhoods. None of us, especially children, should live in fear of a wild animal attack. It is important that the County along with its cities is doing the best possible job of enforcing existing laws of the books regarding animal ownership. It may be necessary to seek additional legislation to accomplish this,” said DeSaulnier.