On Thursday, May 3, 2018, we had an incident on the West side involving a homeowner’s 2 dogs getting loose from the back yard and causing a bite injury to a USPS letter carrier. These particular dogs have gotten out before (numerous times), chased people in the vicinity, and GP Animal Services has been working with the owner to resolve this ongoing issue. On the day of the dog bite, both the Police and Animal Services responded to the location and the dog in question was taken by Animal Services and placed in a 10 day quarantine.
I spoke with an Animal Services officer yesterday and was told that if this dog shows no signs of rabies while in their possession, it will be returned to the owner. This is not the desired outcome for those who live near this address and these dogs. She also mentioned that GP does not restrict certain breeds of dogs; that told me what breed it was without asking.
The HOA is addressing this from several directions and this paragraph comes from the CC&R, Section 8.3, Restricted Activities, and refers animals on property: (emphasis added)
however, those pets which are permitted to roam free, or, in the sole discretion of the Board, make objectionable noise, endanger the health or safety of, or constitute a nuisance or inconvenience to the occupants of other Lots shall be removed upon request of the Board. If the pet owner fails to honor such request, the Board may remove the pet.
We all know how badly owners who purposefully allow loose and wandering dogs upset me, but this pales in comparison. The next informational notice we send out this month will include something about animals on property as it seems to be a growing issue. I know of several addresses which leave aggressive dogs in the back yard and the possibility of another dog bite exists, and next time it might be a child, not the postman.
Anyone who keeps aggressive dogs within their property needs to be certain the animal is property contained, the gate secured and if the dog is allowed to go in and out through a doggie door, please lock your gates from the outside. One of our maintenance guys entered a back yard to do repairs prior to painting and was met by a large dog coming through the doggie door. The owner neither secured the doggie door or the gate, which could have ended in another dog bite.
If you own dogs, you need to be a responsible owner. If you choose to have an aggressive dog capable of causing serious injury, make sure it is secured properly so it does not cause harm to other people. A lock is much less expensive than a civil suit.