http://www.nypost.com/seven/04182004/news/regionalnews/22862.htm
April 18, 2004 -- ALBANY - Dog owners beware: The police may soon be out for your pooches.
State legislators want to force owners to buy liability insurance for their dogs - and have cops fine any owner whose pup doesn't have an insurance tag on.
If the owner does not get insurance, the dog will be impounded and possibly euthanized.
This latest proposal adds to the attack on the city's dog owners, who already must register their pets and keep them leashed.
The measure, called "Elijah's Law" after 3-year-old Elijah Torres of The Bronx, who was savagely mauled by a Rottweiler last fall, is aimed at certain breeds with histories of attacking people.
But it applies to all dogs - although the cost of the "attack insurance" would depend on the breed of dog.
"We are determined to hold the owners of these vicious dogs accountable for what their animals do," said Bronx Democratic Assemblyman Peter Rivera, who sponsored the bill.
"And given that dog bites have increased 37 percent in the last 10 years, holding all dog owners responsible for the behavior of their animals makes sense," he told The Post.
Rivera said city dog owners would have to shell out between $75 and $150 a year for the policies, which provide coverage of up to $10,000 in bite-related medical costs.
Under the proposal, dogs would have to be insured before sale or adoption, and owners would be required to put orange tags on their pets to indicate they were insured.
Anyone caught walking a dog without the bright orange tag on would be subject to a $100 fine on the first offense and $150 for each offense after that.
Canines found to be uninsured would be impounded. Owners would have 10 days to buy the insurance, and would be charged a $15 a day impoundment fee until they did so.
After two weeks in the pound, authorities would have the option of euthanizing an uninsured pet or putting it up for adoption.
The bill, co-sponsored by Bronx Democratic Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, would also allow municipalities to force owners to muzzle dogs deemed dangerous.
The number of reported dog attacks in the Big Apple and across the country has skyrocketed in recent years.
Nationally, nearly 4.5 million bites occur each year, costing victims $100 million in medical expenses.
April 18, 2004 -- ALBANY - Dog owners beware: The police may soon be out for your pooches.
State legislators want to force owners to buy liability insurance for their dogs - and have cops fine any owner whose pup doesn't have an insurance tag on.
If the owner does not get insurance, the dog will be impounded and possibly euthanized.
This latest proposal adds to the attack on the city's dog owners, who already must register their pets and keep them leashed.
The measure, called "Elijah's Law" after 3-year-old Elijah Torres of The Bronx, who was savagely mauled by a Rottweiler last fall, is aimed at certain breeds with histories of attacking people.
But it applies to all dogs - although the cost of the "attack insurance" would depend on the breed of dog.
"We are determined to hold the owners of these vicious dogs accountable for what their animals do," said Bronx Democratic Assemblyman Peter Rivera, who sponsored the bill.
"And given that dog bites have increased 37 percent in the last 10 years, holding all dog owners responsible for the behavior of their animals makes sense," he told The Post.
Rivera said city dog owners would have to shell out between $75 and $150 a year for the policies, which provide coverage of up to $10,000 in bite-related medical costs.
Under the proposal, dogs would have to be insured before sale or adoption, and owners would be required to put orange tags on their pets to indicate they were insured.
Anyone caught walking a dog without the bright orange tag on would be subject to a $100 fine on the first offense and $150 for each offense after that.
Canines found to be uninsured would be impounded. Owners would have 10 days to buy the insurance, and would be charged a $15 a day impoundment fee until they did so.
After two weeks in the pound, authorities would have the option of euthanizing an uninsured pet or putting it up for adoption.
The bill, co-sponsored by Bronx Democratic Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, would also allow municipalities to force owners to muzzle dogs deemed dangerous.
The number of reported dog attacks in the Big Apple and across the country has skyrocketed in recent years.
Nationally, nearly 4.5 million bites occur each year, costing victims $100 million in medical expenses.
