Moses Lake discusses revising dog ordinance

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake woman asked the city council to consider removing rottweilers from the hazardous dog ordinance list stating they don’t have a history of aggression in Moses Lake.

City staff said they were unable to determine if rottweilers have a history of attacking people in Moses Lake without doing research.

For rottweiler, pit bull and presa canario dog owners to comply with the new ordinance in 2009, they will be required to license the animal, obtain a $250,000 insurance policy on the animal, restrict it to an enclosed structure, spay or neuter it and install a microchip.

Diane Nichols said if her dog is declared hazardous, she will lose her homeowner insurance and it could cost thousands of dollars more to try to insure her rottweiler.

She said her dog is registered with the American Kennel Club, socialized, completed obedience school, is well-mannered and taken on daily walks.

“I feel compelled to get rid of him because of this,” Nichols said in reference to the new ordinance.

She asked the council to give her 90 days to work with other rottweiler owners to provide information to the council to show it is not comparable to pit bull breeds in hopes of removing it from the list.

Councilmember Richard Pearce suggested the council consider creating a policy allowing dog owners to have their dogs removed from the hazardous dog list if they are one of the three breeds listed.

He suggested if the dog is put through obedience school and passes a temperance test, the city could issue a letter declaring their animal is not hazardous so they are able to find affordable insurance coverage easier.

Councilmember James Liebrecht said the ordinance is a “working document,” meaning it can be modified at any time. He said any statistics used concerning what dogs pose a problem should be based on Moses Lake, not other areas.

He said he hasn’t heard of any rottweiler attacks in Moses Lake.

“I would take rottweilers off the list because what we’re dealing with are pit bulls,” Liebrecht said. “I think we’re looking at two different temperaments of dogs.”

Councilmember Brent Reese said the council will continue to see more individuals coming to council due to the ordinance.

“It penalizes responsible dog owners that own that type of dog,” he said about the ordinance.

Councilmember Bill Ecret said he would be willing to review any new information pertaining to the dog ordinance.

If there is enough information to prove a rottweiler should not be on the list, it should be taken off, he said.

City staff will collect statistics pertaining to Moses Lake for council to review in consideration for altering the ordinance and consider Pearce’s suggestion for drafting a letter to remove individual animals from the ordinance.