Tanglewood residents seek county help with dog control

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

Tanglewood residents are concerned about safety after reports of threats by vicious dogs in the area. (Wix file photo)

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – Residents from Tanglewood brought concerns about who was in charge of picking up vicious dogs in Linn County on Monday, June 9.

Tanglewood resident Jim Hendershot pointed out that the sheriff’s office took care of livestock on the road and asked if that was done as a public safety issue or if there were specific codes that specified for the sheriff’s department to respond to livestock calls.

Commissioner Jason Hightower said he thought it was a public safety issue.

Hendershot said, “If the sheriff’s department responds to cattle being out along the highway or county road, it’s a public safety issue and I agree it is. I also feel that when residents call in dogs at-large in highly populated areas, that that would be a public risk, a public at-large risk.”

Hendershot said that the response from the sheriff’s department was that he was more than welcome to talk to the county commissioners because they have tried to get an animal control officer but receive not budget for that. 

Hendershot told the commissioners that when he called the sheriff’s office, he was told that they do not have the authority that allows them to pick up dogs that are harboring under vacant houses and growling at neighbors and making everyone feel uncomfortable.  

Hendershot said that people were threatening to shoot these dogs. It’s not the dog’s fault. However, there’s another public safety issue there if we’ve got people willing to shoot these dogs because they’re feeling threatened on their own private property.

He said he did not understand why there is not a public safety issues about dogs at large.

County Counselor Jacklyn Paletta said that she would look into this. She said that this is the first she had heard about any dog at-large issue. and there was a new codes officer in the county. Paletta asked Hendershot to give her a week to look into that.

Kim Hendershot, Tanglewood resident, said that she was a former animal control officer,  and she had made a call to the sheriff’s office on Sunday because the dogs were threatening people.

She said her question to the sheriff’s office was that if a dog bit someone the area would have to be canvassed to find the dog. She asked if it wouldn’t be easier to prevent that from happening.

She said the sheriff’s office suggested that residents could take the dogs to another city. If I were to catch them I’m not aware of any city or county that would take a dog from Linn County, she said. She asked commissioners if they were aware of what city they were talking about.

Hightower said they might have meant the city of La Cygne.

Hendershot said that the sheriff dispatcher said they were full anyway.

She then suggested that our homes association go get the dogs. I’m not sure that they’re prepared to physically handle dogs that are angry and growling or could attack them,” said Hendershot. “It’s something I think really needs to be looked into. What do we do to get something going, to get an animal control ordinance of some sort in the county?”

Undersheriff Bobby Johnson answered the concerns, “There is a state statute that mandates that the sheriff’s office take cattle at large and have them put up. There’s a whole numerous section, it’s under Chapter 19 state statutes that detail how we do that. 

“When it comes to dogs, there is no state statute that dictates dogs and the sheriff’s office works under state statutes. Now the county could do a county resolution and have county ordinances put in place, but then that would be under county codes and then the county code enforcement officers would have to handle that not the sheriff’s office.”

The only animal control resolution that has been found to exist on the county books is 95-24 from 1995. The resolution was approved at the Sept. 25 ,1995, commission meeting and signed by only two commissioners. The summary on the top of the resolution says, “DEALING WITH VICIOUS DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE AND WILD OR EXOTIC ANIMALS IN THE COUNTY OF LINN.”

The resolution goes on to list the animals that are prohibited. It also has a section about keeping pit bull dogs.

There is no mention as to how or who enforces the resolution. 

The resolution and minutes information were provided by County Clerk Danielle Souza.

The Journal contacted attorneys about the resolution in an attempt to find out who wrote it. At least one attorney said the resolution should stricken from county records because it is antiquated and gives the county some liability for enforcing the code.