11-08-2010 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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,COUNCIL MINUTES November 8, 2010 APPROVED 48 FINANCE DEPARTMENT REPORT, AL ROLEK 49 50 There was no report from the Finance Department. 51 52 ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT REPORT, DAN TESCH 53 54 There was no report from the Administration Department. 55 56 PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT REPORT, KENT STREGE 57 58 4A. Hearing to consider the appeal of Mitchell and Andra Sawh, 1366 Wolf Circle, to a 59 dangerous dog designation. 60 61 Police Chief Strege explained that the dog under consideration has bitten twice in the past year and, 62 under city ordinance and state statute,that dog has been declared dangerous. The dog owner has the 63 right to appeal that designation to the city council. 64 65 Kristen Wills, Lino Lakes Community Service Officer(CSO),read the facts of the bite incidents. 66 Captain Strege showed pictures of the bite involved in the first incident. Ms. Diane Irwin was the 67 victim of the second bite and gave testimony to the council. She explained the circumstances that 68 involved her going through the dog owner's yard to investigate smoke from a fire and how she was 69 bitten. She was bitten in the elbow and then a second time on the hip. She is concerned that the 70 owners were not able to control the dog and that the damage could have been much worse if it had �71 been a toddler or weaker person. Captain Strege pointed out an email from a neighbor expressing 72 concern about the safety of the neighborhood. 73 74 Mitchell Sawh, 1366 Wolf Circle. There's been a series of unfortunate incidents and he is sorry. He 75 is appealing the ruling of a"dangerous dog"classification for his dog. The dog is very young(just 76 over two years old) and is exuberant and sometimes has an instinct to defend(he showed pictures of 77 the dog). He explained the biting/scratch incident in April and the subsequent installation of an 78 electric fence that first worked but ultimately did not contain the dog. The dog is leashed always. He 79 explained the more recent biting incident that involved a woman crossing his property waving her 80 arms. He believes the dog was confused. He explained that the dog is walked often if not daily by his 81 son and his wife and he (the dog) gets along well with young and old persons. They will do what it 82 takes to contain and train the animal and he is pleading that the council allow him to keep his dog. 83 84 Raun Sawh, 1366 Wolf Circle, explained that he was not involved in the most recent incident but was 85 the person chasing the dog when the biting/scratching incident occurred in April. The dog was 86 excited and about being loose and jumped up on a person walking. Since then he has been in the 87 yard and is walked every day. He takes him to softball and he gets along well with people and other 88 dogs. He is well socialized and never has a problem when they are walking him. With the second 89 incident,he may have been afraid of the smoke and all the commotion going on. He does not believe 90 he is dangerous. 91 92 Andra Sawh, 1366 Wolf Circle, explained the recent incident. She was outside grooming the dog and 93 at the same time the neighbor was burning leaves but not so that she could see him. She was 94 controlling the dog when a woman came walking by talking on a cell phone, waving her arms. She