Date Posted:08:57:29 03/16/05 Wed Author: Karen Subject: Help needed Spotsie County, VA
PLEASE CROSSPOST!
A week after a fatal mauling of an elderly woman and her dog by several loose (and known dangerous pits), a second person was bitten by loose pits in Spotsylvania County, VA.
I have emailed both the Washington Post and coppied the letter to the Spotsylvania County government already (after the first incident) about what makes a dangerous dog (not the breed) - the County got it but the Post is ignoring me.
Now the county is calling for better dog laws and I fear a restriction may be called for of certain breeds.
I am in the process of printing up my County's Dangerous Dog Law (one of the best I have ever seen) and information on leash laws and such. But I am one person (and this county is very close to me, I drive through it often). I will be mailing this information (snail mail due to length) but am trying to get more people involved. THE FIRST FATAL MAULING WENT NATIONWIDE! I have seen stories in papers as far west as Arizona!
I am asking people to write the county and ask them to remember that it is not the breed or cross but the owner that is the problem when tightening up their laws. If you have examples of "safe" breeds in your area that are dangerous due to the owners, give a few sentences regarding that as well please.
I am trying to do a pre-emptive strike to head off a possible breed restriction. (VA state law has no dog can be deemed dangerous based on breed but I think individual counties can interpret as they want and get very close to a BSL).
Here is the contact information for various agencies:
Board of Supervisors (just have a group email on the county site)
BOS@spotsylvania.va.us
Mailing address:
PO Box 99
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
________________________
Animal Control
Animal@spotsylvania.va.us
William Tydings
450 TV drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
_________________
County Attorney's Office (I have not found the name of the prosecutor in the case of the fatal attack and there are no names that I could see on the office's main page on the county site)
attorney@spotsylvania.va.us
Mailing Address:
PO Box 308
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Thank you,
Karen Peak
West Wind Dog Training & The Safe Kids/Safe Dogs Project
