DANGEROUS-DOG STATUTES MUST BE ENFORCED; ANIMAL REGULATION DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY.

Byline: LOCAL VIEW By Phyllis M. Daugherty

THE recent dog attacks in Granada Hills and the killing of a toddler in South Central Los Angeles have created a flurry of activity and posturing by officials, but no assurance has been given by the policy-setting Animal Regulation Commission that, even with increased funding and additional manpower, a priority-level program will be developed to aggressively enforce existing laws pertaining to dangerous and vicious dogs living in our neighborhoods.

Historically, there has been little action taken to enforce dangerous dog statutes in Los Angeles, although the current epidemic of attacks was predicted.

In 1989, the problems related to vicious dogs statewide were already so severe they caused the California Legislature to pass laws requiring all potentially dangerous dogs to be registered as such and permitting local governments to charge an additional fee to the owners of these dogs for maintaining such records.

Cities or counties were empowered to impose and enforce restrictive programs to control potentially dangerous and vicious dogs, defined, in part, as those which, unprovoked, bite a person causing injury; or on two occasions attack and injure or kill another domestic pet. Strict requirements may be enforced regarding the confinement of a vicious or dangerous dog on the owner's property unless restrained on an appropriate leash and totally under the control of the owner. (This does not mean it may be walked by the owner's 8-year-old child.) The Legislature is considering adding felony counts for severe animal attacks.

To avoid hysteria over every stray, it is important to make a distinction between the two categories of problem animals on our streets. One is the abandoned animal that joins a pack for survival; and, although dangerous under certain conditions, for the most part is fearful and tries to avoid human confrontation.

The second is the vicious and dangerous dog of any breed that has a home but is improperly or carelessly confined and that gets out and is responsible for most attacks and kills in a community. Many of these have been bred for ``gameness'' (the willingness to maim, kill and fight to death) and belong to someone involved in dog fighting or breeding and selling these dogs. Even in the hands of a responsible owner, the aggressive genetic propensity and unpredictable nature of these animals does not change.

In Los Angeles, there is no accurate record-keeping by animal control on dogs that have attacked or killed neighbor's pets. Therefore, it is just a matter of time until the aggression may be stepped up to attacks on humans. Ultimately, this problem will affect every neighborhood in Los Angeles, and we must assure that calls for help by residents receive appropriate response.

In the mold of the Neighborhood Watch programs throughout the city, we are creating neighborhood animal watch programs. Neighbors can join together to watch for dogs running loose and network to identify to whom they belong before they attack an animal or person. Additionally, residents can be alert to abandoned pets so that they can be removed before they suffer or become a problem to the community.

But the Animal Regulation Department is ultimately responsible for taking the necessary and legally mandated steps to ensure the safety of the neighborhood. It is vital that any community effort be coordinated to assist them in this job. Anyone interested in forming a neighborhood animal watch group may call or FAX [phone].