Brian Williams, a city management intern who served on the Dangerous Dog Task Force, said there could be exemptions to the leash law for special events such as Pet Palooza, Dog Days on Poyntz, "where the applicant wants the dogs to be able to run," or if a city dog park were established. Permitted events would have to be approved by the city manager, "based on his perception of whether granting that exemption would create a nuisance or hazard to public safety," said Williams.

He added that an exemption to the leash provision of the city code would not apply to a dog determined to be dangerous, or whether it meets the definition of an aggressive dog at-large. In that case, "it gets put on a leash," Williams said.

Other changes to the dangerous dog ordinance approved Tuesday include the outlawing of hybridized dogs in the city, or those bred with wolves or coyotes. Six new breeds of dogs have been added to the dozen or so the city considers to be potentially dangerous because of size and breed. They are the Argentine Dogo, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Perro de Preso Canario, and German Shepherd.

Once a judge deems a dog to be dangerous, the owner must comply with ownership requirements. There are seven and they include keeping the dog in a specifically described pen, if it is confined outdoors. The dog must be muzzled when in public, if it is declared "dangerous." A "beware of dog" sign must be posted on the owner's property. The owner must register his or her dog as a dangerous dog and pay a $50 annual registration fee, as well as purchase liability insurance. The animal must be neutered or spayed, and micro-chipped and photographed for identification purposes.

The city has a new tethering law that previously didn't exist. It applies to all tethered dogs, except those declared dangerous by a judge, that are kept outdoors on the owner's property. In such cases the dog must be tethered by a rope, chain or lead at least 10 feet long, and tethered in such a way that the animal cannot reach the public right-of-way or sidewalk and cause harm to citizens.

The new tethering law was written so that dogs would be treated humanely, Williams said. To that effect, the total weight of the tether, collar or harness, and any attachments, may not be more than one-eighth of the dog's weight. Also, the animal should be tethered in a method to prevent injury or strangulation or entanglement on fences, trees or other objects.

Williams emphasized that dogs not tethered in the prescribed manner would be in violation of the city's at-large dog ordinance and their owner could be cited by an animal control officer.