With an increased volume of complaints about dogs running loose and being a nuisance, and in light of recent instances of dog attacks, the Ironton Police Department is acting now to prevent tragedy later.

Ironton Police Sgt. Joe Ross said police are determined to enforce city dog laws. Police are encouraging dog owners to educate themselves on the laws and their responsibilities as pet owners.

Ironton police routinely field phone calls from residents angered by neighbors' dogs running loose. Some callers complain of dogs that get into garbage or tear up property; other callers complain that loose dogs are growling or otherwise aggressive. Still other callers alert authorities that some pet owners are abusive or neglectful.

It is against the law to allow any dog to run loose. Ironton City code also requires all dog owners to purchase a dog tag for their pet.

Laws are specific about what constitutes a dangerous dog, and what can be done if that dog poses a threat to others.

According to the city code, a dangerous dog is "a dog that, without provocation, has chased or approached in a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack, or has attempted to bite or otherwise endanger any person, while that dog is off the premises of its owner, keeper or harborer or some other responsible person, and not physically restrained or confined in a locked pen, which has a top, locked fence or other locked enclosure which has a top."

Further, city law defines a vicious dog as one that has "killed or caused serious injury to a person or has killed another dog without provocation or belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull."

City law requires those who own or keep a dog that is deemed vicious to have the animal securely confined at all times, and take out liability insurance of at least $50,000 on each animal they own.

Ross said four pit bulls were confiscated Tuesday morning. The dogs were taken to the pound. Misti Spencer, of 705 Depot Square, owner of two of the four confiscated dogs, was cited for failure to obtain the required liability insurance for the animals.

According to the police department log, a caller complained about Spencer's dogs May 25. Police spoke with Spencer and advised her she needed to purchase liability insurance. The other two pit bulls have yet to be claimed.

However, Ross cautioned though that whether a dog is vicious depends on its behavior and not solely on its breed.

"Say I have a beagle and it bites the mailman, then that dog is considered vicious under city law," Ross said.

The dog attack last week in Rome Township that left two small children injured is something Ross said he doesn't ever want to see happen in Ironton.

"To go into someone's yard and seek a child that had been mauled by a dog," Ross said, "that would be my worst nightmare."