Measure would allow PA towns to pass their own dog laws

State Rep. John Galloway (D., Bucks) will announce legislation today that would allow municipalities to pass ordinances restricting dangerous dogs.

Galloway, who will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. at the Bristol Borough Hall, said he was inspired to draft the bill after a large dog attacked a beagle being walked by a little girl in his district.

Luna, the beagle, was being walked by a 5-year-old girl and her uncle in Bristol when it was attacked by a pit bull that had wandered out of its yard. Luna and the little girl, along with local officials, will attend the event.

A recent attempt by the City of Reading to enact its own local dog ordinance was overturned by Commonwealth Court, which ruled that state dog law supersedes local laws. In February, the court threw out an ordinance that placed restrictions on owners of "aggressive" dog breeds, which were defined as those responsible for a certain percentage of dog bites in a year. Owners of aggressive dogs had to pay $500 a year for permits for unsterilized dogs and use muzzles and heavy leashes on dogs in public.