Albany Commission could vote on dog ordinance changes next week

ALBANY — Albany city commissioners could put more bite into the city’s dangerous dog ordinance this month after weeks of discussion prompted by a dog attack dating back to 2019.

One of the proposed changes to the ordinance would increase the amount of the insurance coverage required for owners of dogs deemed dangerous or potentially dangerous. Currently the ordinance requires $15,000 each in liability insurance and surety bonds for dogs in that category.

Under the changes presented during a Tuesday meeting held in a virtual format, Ward IV Commissioner Chad Warbington suggested changing the requirement to $100,000 in liability insurance coverage. Commissioners could vote on proposed changes at their Aug. 25 meeting.

“I’m concerned that amount should be higher,” said Ward II Commissioner Matt Fuller, who suggested that a serious attack could result in medical bills of that amount or more for a victim of a serious dog attack.

Other cities have even greater requirements for liability insurance, Ward V Commissioner Bob Langstaff said.

Some other locations used as comparison by Warbington for comparison showed required liability coverage for dangerous dogs at $50,000 in Lee County, $15,000 in Valdosta and $100,000 in Gwinnett County.

Some of those governments may not have revisited the requirement in some time based on the numbers, Langstaff said.

“I appreciate $100,000 is a lot,” he said. “When I looked at it, I stumbled upon Commerce, Georgia; that’s a million dollars. I agree with Commissioner Fuller that $100,000 may not be enough.”

Warbington said that his main concern when drafting his suggestion was eliminating the surety bond requirement to make the city’s ordinance consistent with state law, which includes only liability insurance coverage, and that a larger amount of liability insurance coverage would be acceptable to him.

While the dangerous dog ordinance can be applied after a dog-bite incident, there should be more “teeth” put into efforts to prevent such tragedies in the first place, Ward VI Commissioner Demetrius Young said.

That includes enforcing the city’s “leash law” that will alert the city to owners who let their dogs roam.

Young asked whether the dog restraint ordinance is being enforced and if fines are being assessed when owners are out of compliance. City Attorney Nathan Davis was instructed to research the issue of leash ordinance enforcement.

Currently, three of five animal control officer positions are filled, Albany Police Department Chief Michael Persley told commissioners.

“That, I think, is how we keep the community safe,” Young said of the leash ordinance. “I think that would do more to keep dog owners responsible. We can require a billion dollars in insurance, but it doesn’t apply until a dog actually bites someone.”

Another proposed change to the city’s dangerous dog ordinance would revamp the Animal Control Board, which makes the determination of whether a dog is categorized as dangerous or potentially dangerous.

The change suggested by Warbington would increase the three-member configuration to five members, all appointed by the commission, and require it to meet at least twice each year.

Other proposed changes include requiring owners of dangerous dogs to register their animals annually and pay a $100 registration fee each year.

Dogs identified as dangerous or potentially dangerous would be seized immediately by the city’s animal control personnel and quarantined. Owners would have 20 days to meet requirements established for keeping a dangerous dog and if those requirements are not met, the city would refer the case to Dougherty County Superior Court, which could order that the dog be euthanized.

Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
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