Washington State Addresses Old Dog Laws

March 13th, 2009 by Bella | Filed under Dog Politics

Washington State law makers are looking to appeal two old laws on the books dealing with the treatment of dogs.

One of the laws in question gives dog owners 48 hours to kill their dog if it is found killing another animal. The other law requires sheriffs to kill any dog running at large without a metal dog tag, between the months of August and February.

The Senate unanimously approved a bill Monday that could repeal both.

The measure now moves to the House for consideration.

Both laws have been on the books since the early 1900s when the health and welfare of livestock was of greater concern to state residents.

Supporters say they are now outdated and just plain cruel.

Under Washington State law, an animal owner can shoot a dog if it bites, chases or kills an animal on his or her property. Dog owners are also required to corral their pets if a livestock owner complains of attacks. But there is no law directly requiring dog owners to pay for the damages their pets inflict.

The bill to repeal the dog extermination laws is Washington State Senate Bill 5200.

tag_iconTags: | |




You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a comment.

To leave a comment, please fill in the fields below.