By Linda Taaffe

Los Altos

Los Altos could join the list of cities clamping down on aggressive dogs in the wake of several local publicized attacks.

Councilman Francis La Poll last week asked that the Los Altos City Council consider prohibiting certain breeds of dogs, particularly those with “jaws that lock,” from living in the city.

“We’ve already had our share of dog bites in town,” La Poll said. “I think we need to be proactive.”

The logistics of such a ban remain unclear. The council is scheduled to review and possibly improve current city dog laws during an upcoming meeting.

Connie Urbanski, supervisor at the Palo Alto Animal Services, said she is skeptical that such a ban would work.

“I totally disagree with that kind of law,” Urbanski said. “It’s not the breed, but how a dog is raised, trained and socialized. It’s the particular dog, not what (breed) they are. … That’s like saying a certain ethnic group robs banks. There are a lot of really nice dogs in any breed, and then there are those that aren’t nice.”

Urbanski said a breed-ban law would be difficult to enforce, especially when determining how to draw the line on mixed breeds or how to pinpoint variations of particular breeds.

“It’s very difficult to put together. They’re (the council) leaving themselves open to a lot,” she said.

She said breed-ban laws have been unsuccessful in other cities.

Several cities in San Mateo have considered such laws in the past, but ultimately voted against them, she said.

The city of Richmond considered a similar ban last month after three pit bull terriers disfigured a 10-year-old boy.

The council voted against such a ban, saying there would be too many legal blockades and it would be difficult to identify aggressive breeds.

Assemblywoman Carole Migden, who represents San Francisco, recently drafted the Migden Bill, which would hold pet owners to higher standards. The bill would crack down on animals that cause significant bodily injury and would hold responsible the animals’ custodians. The bill passed the Assembly and was being reviewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee last week.

Urbanski said education is a huge piece of the picture. A lot of dog aggression stems from owners not being educated on how to socialize their dogs to be good citizens, she said.