Sault Ste. Marie's dangerous dog committee will meet Monday for the first time since 2001.
The committee is to hear an appeal of a dangerous dog designation issued on Apr. 28 to a male brown-and-white Staffordshire terrier named Stark.
The videoconferenced hearing is expected to be adjourned until a future date to allow Stark's owner, Mike Bryson of Doncaster Road, to attend.
The rarely convened committee hears appeals from dog owners who've been served with a notice of dangerous dog designation.
The committee's decision on whether to rescind or substitute the determination is final.
The city's Animal Care and Control Bylaw states: "Where the pound keeper or an officer becomes aware either on its own initiative or as a result of a complaint received by it that a dog, without provocation, bite or attacked or chased or approached a person or domestic animal in a menacing fashion, the pound keeper may serve a dangerous dog notice."
Whenever a dangerous dog is not in the owner’s dwelling unit, but still within the boundaries of the owner’s premises, it must:
- wear a muzzle
- be securely tethered
- be contained within an area securely enclosed by a locked fence of an appropriate height, or an area enclosed by other means such that the dangerous dog cannot come into contact with members of the public
- a sign, no smaller than five inches by seven inches, must be displayed at all entrances to the property upon which the dog is kept, warning that there is a dangerous dog on the property
When a dangerous dog is not on the owner’s premises, it must be kept muzzled, and on a leash not exceeding two metres in length.
Dangerous dogs must be spayed or neutered, and implanted with a microchip at the owner's expense.
Dangerous dogs not complying can be subjected to procedures including euthanization.