Should Philly’s “Dangerous Dog” List Be Longer?

Is Philadelphia doing enough to keep people and animals safe from dangerous dogs? A recent article by the Philly Voice calls that into question. Only nine dogs are listed on the city’s “dangerous dog” registry. Nearby Allegheny County, which has 55,000 fewer households, has 157 animals on its list. The four suburban counties that make up the greater Philadelphia area, each of which have 250,000 fewer households than the city, have a combined 51 dangerous dog cases. No matter how you look at it, Philadelphia is lagging.

Is Philadelphia doing enough to protect people and animals from dangerous dogs?

Under Pennsylvania’s animal control laws, a dog is declared dangerous once a judge has determined that “an unprovoked dog has attacked, inflicted severe injury or killed a human or domestic animal while off its owner’s property.” At that point the dog’s owner has the choice of either putting the dog down or adhering to a whole set of expensive and strict regulations. For one thing, the dog must be muzzled and leashed when off the owner’s property. Owners must pay $500 annually to keep the dog on a registry and maintain a $50,000 liability insurance policy against any injuries inflicted by the dog. Additionally the dog must be spayed or neutered and have a microchip implanted in it.. But the restrictions don’t stop there. Owners must also post warning signs on their property and keep the animal confined within a proper enclosure. There’s no way for dogs to lose the “dangerous” distinction other than by legal appeal.

According to the Philly Voice article, the onus for filing dangerous dog reports is on the police. It will be interesting to see whether more dogs are added to the registry over time.