The Haines Borough’s dog control ordinance may get
more bite.
At last week’s assembly meeting, Haines police chief Greg Goodman
sought a change that would allow police to prosecute dog owners for the first offense when
their animals jump on or injure people.
Currently, borough code prohibits owners to allow their dogs to
"frequently or habitually growl, snap at, jump upon, or otherwise menace, injure, or
frighten another person."
Goodman said his concern stemmed from a recent incident in which a
person tied their dog outside a local business. "A mother and child walked up. The
dog jumped on (the child) and knocked her down."
Police prosecuted the dog’s owner but lost the case because they
couldn’t prove the dog’s behavior was frequent or habitual. "People need to
be cognizant of this," Goodman said. "Dogs are sometimes seen as an extension of
a person’s personality. Just like people, there’s some that you don’t want
to be around."
State Rep. Bill Thomas, who was at the meeting and questions the
borough’s dog-control enforcement, said he would testify at the upcoming public
hearing on the ordinance change.
"My daughter got arrested and cited for following your city law of
being leashed in the back of a truck so he can’t get out," Thomas said. "It
growled at somebody…she got arrested and had to go to court. The magistrate said most
dogs will protect their property."
Goodman also is seeking a change that would allow police to destroy a
dog for "chasing, harassing or otherwise disturbing or injuring a deer or
moose." Under current code, the borough only can impound a dog for such behavior.
Goodman said the step was logical as state statute already reads this
way, a point assembly member Norm Smith brought up at the meeting.
Member Deborah Vogt said she "looked for and didn’t find a
rationale for adding the word ‘destroyed.’" She said in many cases, a
single escaped dog couldn’t do harm to moose. "It’s saying we value moose
and deer more than dogs."
Assembly member Doug Olerud said he did value moose over dogs. "I
eat moose and deer and I don’t eat dogs." Olerud said the issue was that in
wintertime, dogs pushed moose into deep snow, forcing them to use up "more of their
energy and making them more likely to perish in winter conditions."
Jerry Lapp concurred, saying he had witnessed a pack of dogs nearly
take down a moose on the Haines Highway.
Member Steve Vick said he didn’t see the need to add the word
destroyed to the code. "It’s a subjective judgment whether a moose is being
harassed or not."
Goodman said even if the assembly didn’t pass the change, police
could elect to destroy the offending dog under state law.
