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County to set up dog court
Published May 21, 2003
By DOUG HIGGS
H&N Staff Writer
They bark. They bite. They get in the neighbor's trash.
And, when neighbors get fed up with the problems, they clog the court system.
Dogs, though they may be man's best friends, are a constant headache for county officials responsible for resolving disputes about dogs.
To address the problem, the Klamath County Commissioners are proposing to appoint a hearings officer to settle dog disputes.
The purpose is to reduce the caseload in Klamath County Circuit Court so the judges there will have more time to devote to more important cases.
To do that, an ordinance amending the Klamath County Code will have to be adopted. Two public hearings are required to amend the code.
The hearings will be at 10:30 a.m. June 17 and 10 a.m. July 1.
Because of budget limitations, the circuit court has already reduced its hours of operation.
The hearings officer would be appointed by the commissioners and make rulings on minor dog violation cases.
The court would still hear criminal matters related to illegal activities by dogs, and also any appeals of decisions made by the hearings officer.
"The most typical type of case the hearings officer would hear is barking dogs," said Bruce Angrimson of the county's dog control office.
Other cases would include complaints about the first biting or menacing incident by a dog, dogs running at large, dogs dumping trash, and dogs not having a license.
Many of the dog-barking complaints can be taken care of "by talking to your neighbor in a nice way," Angrimson said.
"The barking is done mostly by unattended dogs and sometimes the owners don't realize or know about it because it's happening while they're away," he said.
If talking to the owner doesn't do any good or the person making the complaint does not want to do that, "we'll give a warning first." If that doesn't resolve the matter, a citation is issued, he said.
"We'll also check at that time on whether there's a license for the dog," he said.
The highest possible penalty on each - continual barking and not having a license - is a $250 fine.
On a related subject, the board approved a contract for the replacement of the sidewalk at the Klamath County Dog Control Office at North Fourth and Pine streets.
Reid Brothers Construction of Klamath Falls will do the project for $3,900.
Reporter Doug Higgs can be reached at 885-4412 or (800) 275-0982.
By DOUG HIGGS
H&N Staff Writer
They bark. They bite. They get in the neighbor's trash.
And, when neighbors get fed up with the problems, they clog the court system.
Dogs, though they may be man's best friends, are a constant headache for county officials responsible for resolving disputes about dogs.
To address the problem, the Klamath County Commissioners are proposing to appoint a hearings officer to settle dog disputes.
The purpose is to reduce the caseload in Klamath County Circuit Court so the judges there will have more time to devote to more important cases.
To do that, an ordinance amending the Klamath County Code will have to be adopted. Two public hearings are required to amend the code.
The hearings will be at 10:30 a.m. June 17 and 10 a.m. July 1.
Because of budget limitations, the circuit court has already reduced its hours of operation.
The hearings officer would be appointed by the commissioners and make rulings on minor dog violation cases.
The court would still hear criminal matters related to illegal activities by dogs, and also any appeals of decisions made by the hearings officer.
"The most typical type of case the hearings officer would hear is barking dogs," said Bruce Angrimson of the county's dog control office.
Other cases would include complaints about the first biting or menacing incident by a dog, dogs running at large, dogs dumping trash, and dogs not having a license.
Many of the dog-barking complaints can be taken care of "by talking to your neighbor in a nice way," Angrimson said.
"The barking is done mostly by unattended dogs and sometimes the owners don't realize or know about it because it's happening while they're away," he said.
If talking to the owner doesn't do any good or the person making the complaint does not want to do that, "we'll give a warning first." If that doesn't resolve the matter, a citation is issued, he said.
"We'll also check at that time on whether there's a license for the dog," he said.
The highest possible penalty on each - continual barking and not having a license - is a $250 fine.
On a related subject, the board approved a contract for the replacement of the sidewalk at the Klamath County Dog Control Office at North Fourth and Pine streets.
Reid Brothers Construction of Klamath Falls will do the project for $3,900.
Reporter Doug Higgs can be reached at 885-4412 or (800) 275-0982.
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