PORTLAND, Ore. -- A 'vicious animal' ordinance may soon be on the books in suburban Portland, where pit bulldogs have killed two children within six months.
A pit bulldog that killed a 5-year-old boy who wandered within reach of the chained animal was destroyed Thursday by Multnomah County animal control officials.
The dog fatally mauled Christopher Dickey late Wednesday when the tot entered a backyard where the animal was held on a 13-foot chain fastened to a fence pole.
Both the owner of the dog, Lance Maynard, and his father, Lester, signed papers to have the dog destroyed, said spokesman Phil Clifford. The elder Maynard had been caring for the dog for about two months while his son built a fence around the back yard of his home.
'He's not like a family-type dog, he's sort of a watchdog,' said another son, Gary Maynard.
It was the second death of a child by a pit bull in the Portland area within the last six months. In October, an Eagle Creek girl fell into an area where a pit bull was tied and was killed by the animal.
Multnomah County officials are expected to consider a 'vicious animal' ordinance that would cover pit bulls and other breeds of dogs within a few weeks, said Peter Kastings, assistant county legal counsel.
He said the regulation, under consideration since the girl died, would cover how vicious animals should be housed and handled in public and would require owners to carry liability insurance.
