The Roanoke City Council voted unanimously Monday to ban ownership wolf-hybrid dogs within the city.
The vote came after a June incident in the city's Deyerle neighborhood, in which a pack of four wolf-hybrids escaped from their owner, then attacked and killed a deer in the yard of Sandra and James Ryals. The Ryals and other neighbors told council members the dogs also threatened the Ryals, another family member, and their Cavalier King Charles spaniels.
The attack led to four misdemeanor charges against another neighbor, but they were dismissed earlier this month due to uncertainty about whether the right person had been charged.
Sandra Ryals said the attack left her shaken.
"First and foremost, I need to say, and try not to do it with too much emotion, I'm scared. I'm scared for myself, for my family, for my animals, for my community, my neighborhood and indeed the city," Ryals said.
She called on council members to approve an ordinance to ensure it never happens again, citing the presence of pets and young children in the area, as well as other neighbors.
"These dangerous aggressive dogs, wolf hybrid canines, do not belong in our neighborhood," Ryals said. "They do not belong in any neighborhood, any residence, in the city of Roanoke! And especially not within a church, a daycare, a preschool."
The new ordinance prohibits the future ownership of wolf-hybrids, as well as dog hybrids with other species such as coyotes.
The ordinance does allow current owners to keep the dogs they have, but requires them to register with the police department, maintain liability insurance, and shelter the dogs at least 500 feet away schools or daycare facilities. It also adds class one misdemeanors for violating those rules, allowing a dog to run loose or biting a human being.
