PORT ANGELES — Clallam County lawmakers Tuesday approved a code change that allows the owner of a potentially dangerous dog to have the pet exonerated after two years of good behavior.
The ordinance amending the code provides more flexibility for changing circumstances and individual cases and cleans up language for potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs.
Potentially dangerous
A dog that has been declared potentially dangerous for something like chasing a neighbor’s chickens can be removed from the designation after a satisfactory case review by Animal Control Officer Tracey Kellas.
The owner of a potentially dangerous dog must pay a $150 fee and keep the dog restrained. Declassification would free the owner of the restraint requirement and the fee.
Dangerous dogs — those who have inflicted severe injury on a person or domesticated animal — are not eligible to be declassified.
The owner of a dangerous dog must keep it in an enclosed space, keep it muzzled, obtain liability insurance and pay a fee.
The Clallam County Animal Issues Advisory Committee has worked on the code changes for more than a year.
“It is an issue of concern for a lot of folks,” said Commissioner Steve Tharinger, who is also a state representative for the North Olympic Peninsula and the 24th District.
“I think this does give some clarity for law enforcement on how to deal with these animals. But I appreciate the animal advisory committee’s work and the sheriff’s department.”
Public hearings on the ordinance were held May 31 and Oct. 11.
A decision was delayed after the last hearing because Tharinger was absent; he was conducting business with the state Legislature in Olympia.
“Just for the record, I did listen to the tape [of the hearing], I did have a chance to talk to our civil deputy and so on,” Tharinger said Tuesday.
“I’m up to speed on the public hearing and discussion around this ordinance.”
Commissioner passed the ordinance by a 3-0 vote Tuesday.
In other news, the board ratified a letter to National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director Christine Lehnertz on Olympic National Park’s environmental assessment on preferred alternatives for a 3.5-mile segment of the Olympic Discovery Trail at Lake Crescent.
“The ratification, specifically, is Commissioner [Mike] Doherty, as chair, signed the letter,” county Administrator Jim Jones explained.
“It had to be in last Friday. So we’re asking for the full board to ratify his signing that letter.”
Ratify letter
The four-page letter alleges violations in the park-led National Environmental Protection Act process and accuses the park of knowingly releasing a factually incorrect environmental assessment after the county updated its proposal.
The Peninsula Trails Coalition, Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, city of Port Angeles and Clallam County have opposed the park’s plan to build a 6-foot-wide trail with an 18 percent grade on a half-mile section.
Most of the existing 40 miles of trail is 10 feet wide.
The park favors the narrow width to avoid disrupting the rocks used to build the Spruce Railroad grade, which have historical value.
The park’s plan does not include updated information from the county on a proposed detour of the 18 percent grade.
The county envisions a wheelchair-accessible trail for its entire 120-mile span from Port Townsend to LaPush.
Tharinger said the letter “points out that we feel that the park has not followed the procedures appropriately.”
“We have some issues with their process and the information they’ve put forward through their public process on the alternative that the county has presented that we obviously feel is the best alternative for continuing the Olympic Discovery Trail across the North Peninsula and proving access for ADA accessibility,” Tharinger said.
“We think this is obviously an important issue, and we’re hoping that the park will respond and consider our alternative in a timely way.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
