RICHMOND--Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, is asking the State Crime Commission for help in researching and drafting legislation to strengthen dog laws.
Houck wants to introduce legislation in the 2006 General Assembly session that would toughen the laws regarding punishments for dog owners who let their dogs run loose.
That comes in the wake of the fatal mauling of a Spotsylvania County woman by loose pit bulls last month. The owner of those dogs has been charged with manslaughter.
Soon after the attacks, Houck said Spotsylvania Commonwealth's Attorney William Neely told him that current Virginia law does not give localities the authority to charge dog owners who allow dangerous dogs to roam freely. Houck decided then to introduce a bill to change that.
Asking the crime commission to study the issue is "really just to get the crime commission to really undertake the review and analysis and make some recommendations back to me," Houck said.
He has spoken to state Sen. Ken Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who is a member of the commission, and to the commission's director.
"They've agreed this would be a timely topic for the crime commission to study and analyze," Houck said.
Another legislator, Del. John O'Bannon, R-Richmond, had introduced a bill in the 2005 session that would have allowed prosecutors to charge dog owners with a Class 1 misdemeanor if their dogs physically injured another person. The bill died in a House committee.
That's why Houck is seeking the crime commission's help.
"The old tongue-in-cheek [saying] around the General Assembly is you don't introduce dog bills. They're always so controversial, and none of them usually pass or see the light of day," Houck said. "There's just such a diversity of opinion as to what laws you need to regulate dogs."
Houck has written letters to a number of groups--including the Virginia Association of Counties, several dog-owner associations, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Spotsylvania officials and various law enforcement agencies--telling them he's going to craft legislation and asking for their input. He's hoping that will eliminate opposition to whatever bill he introduces in January.
"I don't just want to put in a bill in January and have it meet the same fate that other dog bills this is a very serious situation," Houck said. "It's received a very, very positive response. Given the gravity of the Spotsylvania situation, folks are seeing it differently than just another dog bill."
Having the crime commission study it, and being able to introduce a bill that's vetted by the crime commission, also increases its chances of passage, Houck said.
"It would at least send a signal that there's been some research, analysis, some investigation done into it, versus just a bill," he said. "The gravity of the whole situation begs to be addressed, but addressed in a practical, yet sound kind of response. I could get a bill drafted to do anything, and take it down there and put it in. You can always get some political credit for trying to do something for just introducing a bill. But trying to get some more meaningful change is sometimes more difficult."
The crime commission next meets on June 15.