Brooklyn Park Police Propose New Dog Ordinances
After a series of serious dog attack incidents last year, the Brooklyn Park Police Department is proposing new rules for dog owners.
In one instance, a 3-year-old child was attacked by two dogs and later died.
New Ordinances
One proposed ordinance aims to crack down on backyard dog breeding.
Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Toni Weinbeck said that a proposed new ordinance would limit property owners from keeping more than three dogs at a time.
Another ordinance would require that all dogs have some form of identification. That could be a tag or a microchip.
According to Weinbeck, many families bought dogs during the COVID pandemic, but soon found they were too difficult to keep as pets. Some of those families released their dogs into the community rather than keep them or putting them up for adoption.
As a result, there were more stray dogs without identification roaming Brooklyn Park neighborhoods last year.
In an effort to reduce the number of unidentified dogs, the city may partner with another agency to provide low-cost microchipping.
After a series of serious dog attack incidents last year, the Brooklyn Park Police Department is proposing new rules for dog owners.
Dog owners that violate the rules could be fined.
Owners of aggressive dogs could face additional consequences.
“If the dog is involved in a bite or a significant aggressive incident, they could also be labeled,” Weinbeck said. “They could be labeled potentially dangerous or dangerous within the city. That turns into not only fines, but an annual registration with us too.”
A dangerous dog label can mean homeowners would face fencing requirements for their yard, as well as requirements for an additional insurance policy.
The police department plans to present the proposed new ordinances to the city council in the near future.
The council is expected to vote on them in February.
