By Rupert Howell
If your dog is designated dangerous, Panola County has a new law that may affect you. That law went into effect this month after the board of supervisors adopted it following a recommendation of the county’s sheriff’s department.

Sheriff Deputy Bobby Billingsley, who serves as that department’s animal control officer, told supervisors last year that he had compiled the best of several dangerous dog ordinances to come up with a recommendation for the sheriff’s department to propose to supervisors.

Supervisor board president Kelly Morris repeated earlier statements that his board was not against dogs but looking for a way for county law enforcement to deal with those animals that were causing problems.

The law covers Panola’s unincorporated areas as municipalities are responsible for their own animal control.

A dangerous dog is described in the ordinance as any dog that causes an injury to a person or domestic animal, or has been designated as potentially dangerous, or engages in behavior that poses a threat to public safety.

A threat is defined as chasing or menacing a person or domestic animal in an aggressive manner, or owners cited by the Animal Control Authority (animal control officer or designee) two or more times within a 12-month period.

If the animal control officer has probable cause to believe a dog is dangerous and poses a threat to public safety, an order may be obtained for removal or impoundment of the animal pending disposition of the case or until the owner meets certain criteria.

That criteria includes: owner must be 18 years or older, obtain vicious dog license, current rabies vaccination, kept in proper enclosure, pay annual $50 fee and have a minimum $100,000 homeowner’s liability insurance policy.