Cordova's code says give the dog back if the owner is standing there

Cordova's animal control code tells an officer to hand the dog back if the owner is standing right there. Council members said Wednesday that may be a liability problem, and city officials are already drafting a revision.

The code says an animal in violation shall be impounded, except that when the officer can identify the owner and return the animal immediately, the officer issues a citation and gives the dog back.

Council Member Debra Adams said she and several other members got calls about a recent dog incident and read reports the parties shared with them. The gap, she said, is that the ordinance does not allow impoundment when the owner is present, "which sounds absurd because it seems to me that the owner should be even more culpable if they are present and can't control their dog."

The presiding member said the draft revision should make sure safety officers have the authority they need, and that the episode showed the current code is a little out of touch with what officers can and cannot do.

Anchorage handles it differently: its code returns a licensed dog to a known owner when the animal poses no threat, and makes uncontrolled animals subject to impoundment when the owner is absent.

The council took no action and gave no date for introducing the revision.