The Windsor Star is reporting that some people are questioning the dog bylaws in Windsor, Ontario, after the city's licensing commissioners recently slapped a three-pound teacup chihuahua with a "dangerous dog" designation.
The chihuahua, Molly, is accused of biting a postal worker as she was delivering mail to Molly's owners, Jason and Mitzie Scott. Jason Scott said he offered the postal worker a bandage but didn't see any blood. The postal worker continued on her rounds after the incident.
The postal worker said she was required to report the incident to her manager, who told her to file a complaint with the police. The police directed the city's bylaw department to dispatch an enforcement officer to the Scott residence to inspect the dog, and although the officer said he felt "kind of weird" after meeting Molly, he said he had to label her a "dangerous dog." The bylaw states that if a dog causes injury to a person or other domesticated animal, it is deemed dangerous.
As a result, the Scotts must obtain a $1 million liability insurance policy for Molly as well as attach a leash and muzzle whenever she leaves the house.
"I don't even know if they have muzzles that size," Mitzie Scott told the Windsor Star. "I just think it's kinda silly, to the extreme."
The Scotts appealed the ruling, but to no avail.
Jason Scott called the ruling "a joke," while the Star is reporting that a local humane society is calling for changes to the bylaw.
