Pasadena : Vicious-Dog Curbs Urged

The Board of Directors is hoping to put more bite into the city’s dog control ordinance with a proposal that would give it the power to destroy a vicious dog after one attack. The board had been considering an ordinance to control pit bulls, but found that it was impossible to enforce an ordinance that singled out one breed.

The vicious-dog proposal, which must still be formally drafted and reviewed by the board, would give the city Health Department the power to determine whether a dog is vicious and to order its destruction if the owner fails to keep it under control. Under the city’s current animal control law, animals cannot be destroyed without a court order.