Two recent news items from the State of Virginia caught my attention this past week. The first was the creation and launch of a new website that profiles dangerous dogs that live in the state. Since its launch, the site has received press attention and some controversy. It functions much like the registered sex offender websites do in that if you live in the state you can do a county by county search to see if a dangerous dog lives in your neighborhood so that you can be on guard against the animal. Having a member of my family suffer a dog bite in the face that required stitches and then finding out this same dog had bitten at least 5 other people, I'm an advocate of the site and the intent behind its creation. I've included a link to the site at the bottom of this article, and, honestly, there are not too many registered dangerous dogs in it at the moment. However, for the dogs that are there (I found one in the county of York), the information is thorough and embarrassing to the owner.

The second bit of pet related news from the state is a bill that would make catnapping a felony (I laughed when I read that - cat napping) I guess dognapping is already a felony in that state, so this bill would make catnapping criminals felons if they get caught. This proposed bill came about as the result of a kitten being stolen from a VA SPCA (the kitten was later returned and then adopted out properly).

The details on the dangerous dog site and it's link appear below:

January 29, 2008 -- VA - Responding to a growing number of citizen complaints about vicious dogs, the State of Virginia has launched an online registry - similar to the Sex Offenders Registry - that provide pictures, addresses and information about dangerous animals within the state.

The public's response to the new site has been divided with some citizens feeling the site is a bit too much and other's praising what the state is doing to protect its citizens and their pets.

Elaine Lidholm, director of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Office of Communication and Promotions, commented "For the entire month of July and into the first two weeks of August, the stream [of comments] was never ending," She said her office and the State Veterinarian's Office received daily e-mail or phone calls regarding the registry.

A lot of time and effort was involved in creating the site and in ensuring that those dogs that appear in it have gone through a thorough screening process before their pictures are added to the site.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), worked closely with the state during the development of the registry.

A PETA spokesperson said the registry may encourage responsible ownership practices. The registry has also resulted in many more owners keeping their dogs chained so they don't become part of the website lineup, but this action, far from helping, is actually causing more problems. Keeping some dogs chained up can cause aggression problems through frustration, anxiety and excess energy that can't be used when the animal stays chained up.

The number of attacks by chained dogs has risen as a result.

If an animal becomes part of the Dangerous Dog Registry, the owner has to take big steps to get their pet off the site. They have to purchase a $100,000 insurance policy, put special tags on their dog and put signes on the windows of their home. They also have to keep the information on their residence updated each year. The dog remains on the website until the owner moves out of the state or when the dog dies.

Virginia's Dangerous Dog Website...........

To visit the VA Dangerous Dog website, click HERE