The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Following a spate of dog maulings, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are turning to a computerized program to try to identify and track dangerous dogs before they attack.
Beginning next month, police patrolling some neighborhoods on the west side of the city will begin filing computer reports anytime they spot a dog that could be dangerous.
That will allow the department’s animal control bureau to investigate and see if the dog is properly secured and whether its owner is abiding by the city’s dangerous dog ordinance.
“We will follow up on everything they send us,” said Capt. Tammy Williams, who heads Animal Control. “We will make sure (the owner) is complying with all laws.”
If the program is a success in the Westover division, it could be expanded to other neighborhoods, the department said.
At least three children in the city have been seriously injured in dog attacks in recent months. Two of the children were attacked in neighborhoods that are part of the Westover patrol division.
Eight-year-old Roddie Dumas Jr. was killed in April when dogs that belonged to his father attacked him in the backyard of the family home, where Roddie was visiting his grandmother. The father, who was inside the house when the attack occurred, is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
A 7-year-old boy was hospitalized after being attacked by a pit bull in July, and earlier this month an 8-year-old girl was bitten on the leg by a pit bull.
Sgt. Freda Lester, who works in Westover, said tracking potentially dangerous dogs could also benefit officers who respond to calls or serve warrants in the district, by letting them know when they may encounter an aggressive dog.
Lester said officers filing reports will be asked to provide an address, the type of dog and condition it’s in. The form should take only a few minutes to complete, she said.
A city ordinance defines “dangerous” as “any animal whose behavior, temperament, size, or any combination thereof ... constitutes a reasonable risk of injuring a human or animal or damaging personal or real property.”
After Roddie’s death, city officials considered a ban on pit bulls and other breeds known to be aggressive, but decided against it. They have said they believe existing dangerous dog laws, coupled with more effective enforcement, will address the problem.
Animal control also is considering a dangerous dog hot line, something suggested by Roddie’s mother, who wants pit bulls, chow chows and Rottweilers banned in Mecklenburg County.