Delaware General Assembly

Signed 7/26/00

The General Assembly has ended, the current status is the final status.

6/7/00

McBride

Sen. Blevins, Marshall, Sokola, F Simpson
Reps. Spence, Oberle

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 17 OF TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS.

The State’s “dangerous dog law” authorizes an animal control agency (i.e., Delaware SPCA and Kent County SPCA) to seize and impound a dog for behavior that makes it a candidate for a “dangerous” or “potentially dangerous” designation. After the dog is seized and impounded, the owner is notified of his or her right to a hearing before the “Dog Control Panel.” The 5-member panel is made up of experts on dog handling and control (e.g., a veterinarian, a professional dog obedience trainer, etc.), appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. If the dog owner disagrees with the decision made by the panel, the decision may be appealed to the Court of Common Pleas. This Act reflects lessons learned from panel hearings, the appeal of a panel’s decision to the Court of Common Pleas, and the implementation of the law by the animal control agencies. This Act adjusts the composition of the panel to include a police officer; allows the panel to meet in executive session; authorizes the panel to order the spaying/neutering of a potentially dangerous dog; and makes panel decisions. This Act also prohibits the owner of a dangerous dog from selling or giving away said dog; defines the term “dangerous dog” to include a potentially dangerous dog that is not being controlled as required; and permits a county or municipality to adopt its own “dangerous dog law.”

N/A

N/A

Takes effect upon being signed into law

N/A

View HTML View HTML View PDF