Beware of New Dog Law Pitfalls

Under Orange County’s antiquated animal-control law, vicious dogs have had a dangerous advantage: They couldn’t be considered vicious until they had bitten someone.

That serious shortcoming was corrected Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors took away that first free bite and toughened up its statute to also provide protection from dogs that may bite. The new law enables the county’s animal-control officers, who have jurisdiction in the unincorporated areas and the 17 cities that contract for county animal services, to declare a dog vicious before it bites if it chases or approaches someone in a threatening manner twice in a year.

What constitutes a threatening manner is a most subjective judgment that some people may jump to anytime a dog jumps, barks or growls at them. The supervisors have already called for a clarification to exempt dogs from being branded vicious for protecting their owner’s property. Other instances must be evaluated carefully too. A stricter ordinance was needed to protect the public. But care must be taken that the new law isn’t used unfairly against Fido.