Dog Owners Could Face Tougher Penalties

Dog Owners Could Face Tougher Penalties

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Dog owners in McHenry County could face stiffer penalties when their pets attack.

Three dogs mauled six people in the county about a week ago.

County Board Chairman Ken Koehler says negligent dog owners should be held more accountable.

“In many cases, the current laws that we have on the books are just very, very insignificant in the amount of a fine,” Koehler says. “And quite frankly, people don’t think much about paying fines today. They buy themselves out of almost everything.”

Koehler says the county has seen numerous dog attacks in the last few months.

He says a task force including board members, the sheriff and the state’s attorney will meet this week to see what it can do to strengthen county and state laws.