Next week the Avalon City Council will consider new animal control laws that would include restricting ownership of vicious and potentially dangerous dogs and allow officials to seize and destroy them.
If approved by four-fifths of the council, the “urgency” version of the ordinance would go into effect immediately.
Next week the Avalon City Council will consider new animal control laws that would include restricting ownership of vicious and potentially dangerous dogs and allow officials to seize and destroy them.
If approved by four-fifths of the council, the “urgency” version of the ordinance would go into effect immediately.
The proposal is the city’s response to recent events on Catalina that include last week’s attack on a man and his Jack Russell terrier by two American bull terriers in Avalon. The man and his dog are currently recovering from their injuries on the mainland.
“We do not want vicious animals in our community and we expect people who live here or visit here to ensure that their animals are under control. The vast majority of residents and visitors do a fine job with their animals. Those who visit here need to do the same. We will take whatever steps necessary to protect our residents, visitors and innocent animals,” said City Manager David Jinkens.
Animals and the city code
According to the staff report by City Attorney Scott Campbell, the ordinances would identify dangerous dogs, restrict ownership of potentially dangerous dogs, establish stricter regulations for transporting potentially dangerous dogs, require pit bulls to be spayed or neutered and “require the muzzling of dogs in areas where dogs are only allowed to pass through on leashes.”
According to Campbell, the Avalon Municipal Code restricts the ownership of dangerous dogs, but the code does not define what qualifies as a dangerous and “is silent” on seizing and destroying dogs that are dangerous or vicious. The existing code doesn’t say anything about spaying or neutering pit bulls.
Dog attack on the pier
The man who was injured last week while protecting Josh, his Jack Russell terrier, from two “pit bulls” on the Catalina pier is back at home after being treated for injuries to his arms and leg, according to a website that is raising money to pay his medical bills and the cost of the emergency flight to the mainland.
This week, the Go Fund Me page reported that the Jack Russell terrier’s stitches would soon be removed.
According to news reports, John Brady was hospitalized last week for injuries to his arms and legs and will require more surgeries on his leg. Brady’s daughter Brooke has set up a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money for Brady’s medical bills. As of April 25, Brady was back home, according an update on the Go Fund Me website.
The attack occurred last Tuesday, April 18, around 2 p.m.
Brady was injured when he covered his dog Josh when two American bull terriers attacked the Jack Russell terrier on the pier.
The brown-and-white dogs, both male, weighed about 120 pounds, according to Sgt. James Ross of the Avalon Sheriff’s Station. Avalon Harbor Patrol officers pulled the bull terriers off Brady and Josh, According to news reports.
According to Sgt. Ross, the 65-year-old woman who owned the two larger dogs came to Avalon to buy groceries. According to Brooke Brady’s Go Fund Me post, Josh was on a leash but the bull terriers were not.
According to Sgt. Ross, the smaller dog barked or growled at the larger dogs. Brady picked up his pet. The larger dogs attacked. Brady covered Josh with his body. According to Sgt. Ross, one of the bull terriers bit the man’s calf.
Last week, Sgt. Ross said that the owner of the dogs expressed her intent to have the dogs euthanized. He could not confirm that they had, in fact, been destroyed.
According to City Attorney Campbell’s staff report, the dogs apparently had a prior history of attacks.
American bull terriers are one of several breeds collectively referred to as “pit bulls.”
The website for John Brady’s fundraiser is https://www.gofundme.com/emergency-vet-bills-for-my-dads-dog.
