By Jeff OuthitReporter
Owners of dangerous dogs may face higher fines in Waterloo for disregarding restrictions on their pets.
Dogs found to be dangerous must typically be confined inside a home or in a secure pen under a city bylaw. They are to be muzzled and leashed when not confined.
“The euthanization of a dog is kind of the extreme, the last resort,” said Grant Curlew, manager of licensing and standards at Waterloo city hall.
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Waterloo council is to vote Monday on increasing the fine to $1,000 for disregarding a restriction placed on a dangerous dog, and to $2,000 for a second offence.
Current fines are $400 for a first offence and $800 for repeat offences.
Higher fines are among several changes recommended by city managers to modernize a dangerous dog bylaw in place since 1998.
Council may give dog owners a faster way to appeal a declaration that their dog is dangerous. Such designations are made by the humane society.
A panel of councillors and citizens currently hears appeals when dogs are declared to be dangerous. It is a long, cumbersome process.
Few citizens want to sit on a dog panel, making recruitment a challenge. Appeals have been difficult to schedule and hearings struggle to reach quorum.
There have been 11 appeals of dangerous dog designations in Waterloo since 2015. Appeals have taken, on average, almost three months to schedule. It has taken four months, on average, to schedule the last four appeals.
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To move faster, city staff propose to put dog appeals before the same independent adjudicators who rule on rental and business licensing, and hear challenges to parking tickets and other bylaw infractions.
“One of the reasons we want to go with the hearing officer is that they can make more sound decisions, based not on emotion but based on the legal framework that we have,” Curlew said.
The appeal process would be faster and more objective, Curlew said. Adjudicators typically have a legal background and have shown a track record of fair, impartial decisions.
“Our hope is that it leads to more efficiency and to better outcomes when appeals do occur,” Curlew said.
The bylaw may be further tweaked to allow owners to lift a dangerous designation over time, if conditions are met.
Rescinding a dog designation would require the dog to not attack a person or animal for at least a year. The dog would have to pass a behavioural test and complete 30 hours of training with a certified dog trainer. The humane society would have to consent.
Waterloo proposes no changes to banned breeds. Prohibited dogs include pit bulls and variations such as Staffordshire terriers.