Dog Owners To Be Impacted By New State Law, CO

Owners Must Post Signs Warning Of Dangerous Dogs

POSTED: 7:31 pm MDT May 2, 2006
UPDATED: 10:03 am MDT May 3, 2006

AURORA, Colo. -- A new law that goes into effect on July 1 toughens dangerous dog laws and affects all dog owners in the state. The law came in response to a vicious attack two years ago.

In that attack a man was nearly killed by a vicious dog at a veterinary clinic. Lawmakers pushed the law through with little resistance and now it comes on the heels of a breed ban in Aurora and several other Front Range cities.

Three months after Aurora's dog ban took effect, aggressive dogs and pit bulls are still being surrendered.

John Smithson has lived in Aurora for 40 years and he couldn't be more pleased with the ban.

"If you've got some vicious dogs, they should be controlled regardless of what breed they are," said Smithson.

And that's the idea behind a new law that will apply to all dog owners in Colorado.

"Where dogs are transferred or sold to others, the new owners should have notice of what kind of temperament the dog has," said Rep. Fran Coleman.

The law comes in response to an attack at a Weld County veterinary clinic in 2004. Assistant Adam Stutzman was nearly mauled to death by a dog. A judge ruled the dog owner neglected to tell Stutzman the dog was dangerous. He had to get more than 200 stitches for the bites.

"I was on the ground and then they grabbed my head and dragged me 12 feet or so," Stutzman said.

The new law requires owners of dangerous dogs to post signs similar to those required in Aurora. The difference is, Aurora's mandatory signs address the pit bull ban, whereas Colorado's law will require signs for all dogs deemed dangerous.

"What makes a dog dangerous is basically that they've shown abnormal behavior, that most dogs wouldn't," Coleman said.

If warning signs are not posted, the dog owner could be fined, and or arrested. Those dogs could also be confiscated and put down. Also, under the new law, if a dangerous dog attacks a second time, the dog must be put down.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...s=den&psp=news

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