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Counties can set dog laws If city or county ordinances are stronger than state laws regarding animal control, can they supersede state law? We must make animal owners responsible for their animals' actions, and treatment. -- Beverly D., Phoenix The general answer is yes, Beverly, but the 1999 Legislature made some changes in how counties deal with dogs caught chasing, injuring or killing livestock. State law says: "These provisions ... do not limit the powers of cities and counties to adopt ordinances and regulations relating to the control of dogs." But for counties with dog control programs, such as Jackson County, Senate Bill 795 imposes three new requirements as of Oct. 23: Counties must provide hearings for owners of dogs accused of chasing, injuring or killing livestock. A new set of graduated penalties applies to dogs found to have chased, injured or killed livestock -- and to their owners -- based on the severity and frequency of offenses. Death is no longer the automatic penalty for a dog caught chasing for the first time. Owners must have microchips implanted in dogs that are spared death. The microchips allow counties to track offending dogs even if their owners move. In 1998, Jackson County commissioners approved an ordinance that spares dogs caught chasing livestock for the first time, but the dogs must be moved outside the county. It eased the automatic death sentence that state law provided for until the changes mentioned above. Commissioner Sue Kupillas said the ordinance served as a model for subsequent changes endorsed by Gov. John Kitzhaber and approved by the 1999 Legislature. (Send your questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; or by fax to (541) 776-4376; or by e-mail to: [email protected] Please include your name, address and phone number for verification.) Today's News Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA