Citizen Panel Will Now Decide Fate of Dangerous Dogs in Lewis County

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Citing a lack of public confidence in the current procedure, county commissioners voted Monday to create a citizen panel that will make future determinations on whether a domesticated animal should be classified as dangerous. 

“Over the last couple of years, several situations have occurred that have caused us to think that it could be improved,” deputy prosecuting attorney Eric Eisenberg said, presenting the ordinance at a hearing.

He referenced the Tank/Hank scandal, in which a dog accused of killing livestock was deemed dangerous — only to be adopted out under a different name after Public Health and Social Services Director Danette York and Animal Shelter manager Amy Hanson came to believe he was actually harmless.

The fallout led to a long legal limbo, which became a high-profile case in which the dog was eventually spared and York and Hanson faced charges for their actions. 

“(The Tank/Hank case) particularly showed that the public did not have confidence in procedure,” Eisenberg said. “It would be good to try and improve that process so that everyone can feel confident and think that justice is being done.”

Previous county code had made the Public Health director responsible for dangerous animal designations, but that role has been moved from York to a Thurston County animal control expert, who handles cases under contract at $250 each.

“I just didn’t feel like I was qualified to do that kind of work,” York said in June, when the citizen panel was first proposed. “I don’t have any animal expertise. … (Contracting) is expensive, and there’s no budget for it.”

The new ordinance, which will take effect immediately, calls for the county commission to appoint a Dangerous Animal Designation Board of five “knowledgeable” citizens who will decide the fate of domestic animals accused of injuring a person or killing another animal. Three of the five panelists will need to be present to establish a quorum and make decisions.

If an animal is deemed dangerous by the panel, its owner must pay a yearly registration fee, keep it in an approved enclosure, post warning signs, purchase insurance and identify it with a permanent microchip. Failure to meet these conditions can cause the animal to be impounded and eventually euthanized.

In addition, the new ordinance allows those who have been injured by an animal to make a statement before the DAD Board. Victims may also appeal if the panel declares an animal not to be dangerous.

Another change will allow the county to file misdemeanor charges against animal owners who incur more than five infractions over a 10-year period, which Eisenberg said is only designed to target a few flagrant violators who have ignored enforcement efforts.

“This is not intended to be a big, large-scale change,” he said of that policy.

Following the hearing, commissioners expressed hope that the headaches caused by the dangerous animal designation process in the past will be over.

“It’s been a long haul in trying to resolve this issue,” said commissioner Edna Fund. “Having a committee looking at the issue I think will be really good for us.”

The county will soon be seeking applications to fill out the panel, and Eisenberg urged that it will require public interest in serving to make the new system work.