Filing an Animal Reg Complaint

Lane County, Oregon	eGovernment

F I L I N G A C O M P L A I N T

COMPLAINT PROCESS: To file a formal complaint for a violation that you have witnessed, it is always best to document the details of the situation as soon as possible. When you call LCAS to file your complaint, you may be asked for the following information:

Address where the violation occurred in order to determine that the situation is within our agencies jurisdiction.

The nature of the violation, such as, Dog at Large, Dangerous Behavior, etc., in order to prioritize emergency situations for adequate response time.

Your name, address and phone number, so that we can contact you for further information.

Description of the animal(s), so that we have a better chance to find and identify them.

Animal owner's address, so that our Officer can make contact to advise them of the complaint, explain the procedures, options, and possibly issue a citation(s).

The time you will be available for an officer to make contact with you to sign the complaint form. The officer will then contact and meet with you to get further details, explain the process, and answer your questions.

If the animal owner is issued a citation, they will have an option of pleading guilty or not guilty by the plea date as indicated on their citation. If they plead not guilty and request a hearing, you will then be notified to appear at the hearing as the witness to give your testimony.

IS THAT BARKING DOG KEEPING YOU UP ALL NIGHT?

ANIMAL ABANDONMENT: Owner's that are in the process of moving or on vacation may have made arrangements for a caretaker to look after their animals. If you feel that an animal has truly been abandoned, is loose, neglected or sick, please call our agency so that we can follow-up on the situation. Please provide as much owner information as you can such as name, new address, or Landlord information. Abandonment is a violation of Eugene Code 4.350 or Lane Code 7.105.

ANIMAL ABUSE: If you witness a person causing physical injury or death to an animal, please contact our agency. Animal Abuse is a violation of Eugene Code4.335 or Lane Code 7.120.

ANIMAL INJURED/SICK:If you see an injured or sick animal, please report it to this agency immediately. If you have owner information to provide our agency, we will follow-up with the animal owner to determine the cause of the injury or sickness and proceed as necessary.

ANIMAL NEGLECT: An animal owner must provide "minimal care" which means care sufficient to preserve the health and well being of an animal.

Does the animal have sufficient quantity and quality of food for normal growth or maintenance of body weight?

Does the animal have access to potable water in sufficient quantity to satisfy it's needs?

Does the animal have shelter that has a sufficient structure to protect the animal from wind, rain, snow or sun? Does it have bedding adequate to protect the animal from cold and dampness?

Does the animal have veterinary care deemed necessary to relieve distress from injury, neglect or disease?

Animal Neglect is a violation of Eugene Code 4.340 or Lane Code 7.125

BARKING DOG/CONTINUOUS ANNOYANCE:Have the dogs in your area been barking for over 15 continual minutes? Can you see and identify the animal(s) during this time? Have you advised the owner that it is a problem for you and given them an adequate amount of time to remedy the situation? Continuous Annoyance is a violation of Eugene Code 4.430 or Lane Code 7.115.

BARELY ESCAPED FROM THAT LOOSE DOG?

CATS: If you know of a cat that is abandoned, sick, injured, neglected, or being abused, refer to the section above that applies. Currently, Lane County does not have any ordinances for cats in regards to licensing, or problems with cats that have owners. If you find a healthy cat that is stray or wild, for further instructions, please refer to the page regarding Cats, Found a Pet, or Lost a Pet.

DOG AT LARGE: If you see a dog running loose and want to file a formal complaint, document the day, time, location, description, and dog owner information so that you will have the information readily available for the officer when he arrives to take your complaint. If you want to report the animal found, see the section on "Found a Pet". A Dog at Large is a violation of Eugene Code 4.425 or Lane Code 7.110.

DOG WASTE MATTER:Dog owners shall not allow dogs to deposit solid waste on any improved property other than that of the dog owner. It is a defense if the dog owner immediately removes the waste. This is a violation of Eugene Code 4.465 or Lane Code 7.140.

DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR: If you have witnessed a dog while at large, that has menaced, chased, displayed threatening or aggressive behavior or otherwise threatened or endangered the safety of any person, domestic animal or livestock, you can file a formal complaint for Potentially Dangerous Behavior. This is a violation of Eugene Code 4.435 Levels 1-3 & 5 or Lane Code 7.130.

DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR: If you have witnessed a dog that has bitten someone whether at large or on it's own property at the time of the incident, it is in violation of Eugene Code 4.435 Level-4 or Lane Code 7.130.

DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR/FAILURE TO COMPLY:If you know of a dog that has been Classified as a Potentially Dangerous Dog, or as having Dangerous Behavior, and you are a witness to the dog being out of compliance with the restrictions, you may choose to file a complaint.

FORMAL COMPLAINT DEFINED:Your written and signed statement explaining the alleged violation that you witnessed. If the animal owner pleads not guilty and requests a hearing, you will be notified and must appear in court as the witness to give your testimony.

FOR FURTHER DETAIL OR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SELECT THE FOLLOWING LINKS BELOW:

Eugene Codes / Laws	Lane County Codes/ Laws
Cats	Reporting a Bite


		Health and Human Services			Animal Services


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