SeaTac is considering paying for extra patrols by King County Animal Control officers to catch dangerous dogs roaming in neighborhoods and at Angle Lake Park.

The city council's Public Safety and Justice Committee heard from Al Dams, acting director of the county's animal control division, and concerned residents on April 10.

The committee discussion followed complaints, presented March 27 by Angle Lake neighbors during a regular council session, that they and their dogs had been harassed by pit bulls.

SeaTac has a law, enacted in 1991, that requires pit bulls and pit bull mix dogs to be confined on an owner's property or be muzzled and leashed when taken off the property.

Violation of the requirement is a misdemeanor that can result in up to one year in jail and a $500 fine.

Enumclaw and Yakima ban pit bulls but SeaTac only restricts them.

The county requires all dogs to be leashed when leaving their owner's premises.

Dams said SeaTac's breed-specific law is more restrictive than the county's ordinance.

County officers take action against dogs based only on their behavior, not their breed, he added.

SeaTac police or city code enforcement officers enforce the breed-specific provisions of SeaTac's law, according to Dams.

Estimating there are a few hundred pit bulls in SeaTac, Dams said city officials should seriously consider whether "you want to take property (a dog) away from a city resident."

One county animal control officer patrols SeaTac, Tukwila, Burien and North Highline. Des Moines and Normandy Park share a full-time city animal control officer.

Dam said complaint response time is pretty quick, but residents complained at the earlier council meeting about long waits after calling for help.

A man at the committee meeting said an animal control officer did not contact him until two days after a vicious dog mauled his Labrador.

One woman advised residents to call police instead of animal control if they spot a threatening dog.

Tukwila is planning to spend $10,000 to $30,000 per year for extra patrols, Dam noted.

He suggested SeaTac combine with Tukwila for the enhanced service.

Some residents endorsed added patrols while others favored hiring a full-time city officer.

One woman said enhanced patrols would make dog owners realize they are accountable for their dog's actions.

Another said a city animal officer would get to know where the problem dogs are.

Some residents will not go to their mailbox without a gun for protection, according to one woman.

"It is ridiculous when you can't walk in your neighborhood without fearing dangerous animals," she declared.

Others warned about singling out specific breeds as dangerous

A woman said she has never had a behavior problem with her adopted pit bull.

"But most pit bulls are owned by nasty people," she added.

A man contended pit bulls are bred to hunt and kill.

An Akita owner noted she keeps her dog within her property and muzzles it when they do leave.

"I would hate to see breed specific laws," she said. "I don't want to be penalized."

Activist Linda Snider noted SeaTac has a successful off-leash dog park. Snider proposed that dogs be banned from other city parks.

City Manager Craig Ward said he would seek "a green light" from council members to explore enhanced patrols by county officers.

Public Safety Committee chairman Tony Anderson observed, "We need to do immediate enforcement of what is the law. Maybe we don't need to tweak the laws."