(Radio Iowa) – Officials in an eastern Iowa city say complaints about aggressive dogs have increased and they’re considering an update to the city ordinance in Manchester that prohibits vicious dogs from running loose in city limits. Tim Vick is the city manager in Manchester. Vick says under the current ordinance, he — as the city manager — is the official who determines if a dog meets the criteria for being declared potentially vicious, but he’s also the person who hears any appeals of that decision.

“So right now we’re wanting to change that so the police chief or their designee makes the declaration the dog is potentially vicious and usually it’s followed up because it was a police complaint was filed,” Vick says, “and then if they appeal that declaration by the police chief or a designee, it goes to the city manager.” The Manchester City Council has directed city staff to draft rules for what happens if someone who owns a dog that’s already been declared vicious violates the ordinance.

“Staff is going back to the drawing board. We’re going to put some stuff in there about simple misdemeanors and potential charges that could be faced…We want to keep it on a case by case basis because if a six year old kid accidentally lets the dog out, the dog blots out the door, the property owner wasn’t necessarily letting the dog run at large, but it did happen,” Vick says. “Now, if this happens on a regular basis, then that’s another issue.”

The current Manchester ordinance states that a dog declared potentially vicious must be kept indoors or inside a fenced yard that children who don’t live in the home cannot get into. The ADULT owners of potentially dangerous dogs can walk their pet in Manchester, but the dog must be on a leash and muzzled.

Manchester’s ordinance defines a potentially vicious dog as an animal that — without provocation and outside of its owner’s property — has bitten or tried to attack a person or who has injured or killed another animal.