“Dogs can be secured with a chain or cage then we can proceed with the process,” he added.
The rules state that “any dog or other animal declared to be a vicious animal may, at the discretion of the supervisor, be humanely destroyed. Such humane destruction shall occur no earlier than 10 days following notice given to the owner of such animal of intention to destroy, or if a hearing is held, no earlier than 10 days after a decision has been issued in the same and after all rights to appeal have been exhausted.”
Variety learned that personnel of the mayor’s office responded to a call about a vicious dog that attacked a resident two weeks ago.
The dog was taken by the responding personnel and destroyed without notifying its owner, Variety was told.
Hofschneider said a concern was raised by Manny Alvarez about the destruction of the vicious dog.
The mayor’s office is still communicating with Alvarez if he has more concerns, Hofschneider added.
Early this month, the mayor’s office issued a public announcement stating that it was temporarily unable to respond to community requests concerning live dogs, domestic or stray, unless a dog has threatened the safety of a person.
“This temporary suspension of responding to community requests shall be in effect from July 28 to August 18,” the mayor’s office said.
The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, for its part, is asking Mayor Donald Flores to shed light on his dog control and licensing program.
In his letter to Flores, delegation chairman Ramon A. Tebuteb said lawmakers are “cognizant of the ongoing program to license dogs in Saipan but there has yet to be identified rules and regulations as promulgated by the Office of the Mayor pursuant to Section 3 of Saipan Local Law 9-12.”
But Hofschneider said they already have the regulations which were adopted on May 29, 2003.
He said they are willing to meet with the delegation and discuss the dog control program.
“We are glad to meet with them,” Hofschneider said, referring to the Saipan lawmakers.
