Burnet Police Department orders ‘dangerous dog’ owner to erect fence, buy insurance policy
A Burnet police officer has recovered from wounds to her arm and resumed her duties about a week after being attacked by dogs, one of which she fatally shot. The agency has designated the surviving pet a 'dangerous dog,' requiring the owner to build a fence, post a sign, and purchase an insurance policy. Photo courtesy of Burnet Police Department
STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY
BURNET — The Burnet Police Department has ordered a pet owner, whose dog attacked an officer, to build a 6-foot fence to enclose the canine, post a “dangerous dog” sign, and purchase a $100,000 insurance policy or face having the pet seized and potentially euthanized.
The pit bull mix was shot by Burnet Patrol Cpl. Alex Fidler on June 14 after she responded to a call about dogs attacking a bicyclist on Vandeveer Street.
Fidler shot two of the three at-large dogs, one fatally, and sustained dog bite wounds to her arm, according to the police report.
On June 20, police served the injured pet’s owner, who lives in the 700 block of Vandeveer, notice that his dog was deemed a “dangerous animal” as defined in Burnet City Code 14-102.
“In the ‘dangerous dog’ packet, there’s an affidavit of what happened, and with the city ordinance, (we) served it to the dog owner,” Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson said. “If you don’t follow it, we get a warrant and take the dog because the owner is not following the code.”
The ordinance outlines requirements such as building a 6-foot fence, purchasing a $100,000 insurance policy, posting a sign in their yard, and muzzling the dog if it is outside the designated enclosure.
The posted sign must specify public notice of a “dangerous dog” on the property.
“If the owner moves, that follows them (to their new residence). They must report to that municipality or that county,” Nelson said. “We forward the information to the law enforcement entity that has jurisdiction where they move.”
The pet owner has 15 days to appeal, and, if so, the dog is impounded pending the outcome of a municipal court hearing.
“Any time a dog without being pushed attacks a human or another animal, we have the right to make that designation for the safety of the city,” Nelson said.
The animal’s owner was also cited for having a dog at-large, a class C misdemeanor.
In regards to the injured officer, rabies test results of the fatally shot dog came back negative, according to the report.
Fidler, who was initially confined to office work as her arm healed, has since resumed her full duties.
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To be clear, Burnet City Code 14-102 is the order, prescribed by the governing body of the municipality. The Burnet Police Department only served the order.