City laws state dog owners responsible to protect other people from injuries

According to Columbia city laws, a vicious dog is of any breed and shows patterns of viciousness, bites or injuries to any human, with the exception of law enforcement animals.

Associate Director Michelle Casey with the Central Missouri Humane Society said dogs who growl, snarl or back away are usually exhibiting signs of stress and anxiety.

“They don’t want to hurt you, they are just so scared they just don’t know how to communicate what they’re feeling,” Casey said. “So we try and really understand on their level of what they’re going through. We don’t want to push them past their limits.”

ABC 17 News reported last year that a 2-year-old girl in Wellsville was flown to University Hospital in Columbia after she was attacked by a family dog. The dog was later put down per state statute.

Casey said the vicious behavior is not a breed issue.

“Any aggressive tendencies have nothing to do with breed, it’s more about background and what the animal may have been through. Some animals handle stress more than other, so it just depends. They’re just individuals,” Casey said.

A Columbia ordinance also states when a dog demonstrates threatening behavior by growling, lunging or chasing a person, the animal is to be considered vicious or a nuisance.

City law said the owner is responsible to protect other people, property and animals from injuries.

To read more on Columbia city ordinance, click here.