Health board discusses dog quarantine

MARENGO -- Last week’s Board of Health meeting lasted three hours, and much of that time centered around a request from the City of Marengo to change its policy for quarantining animals after they’ve bitten someone, said Iowa County Supervisor Abigail Maas last week.

Marengo Police Chief Ben Gray told the Marengo City Council earlier this month that someone had been concerned that a dog that had bitten a girl was being quarantined in its home, close to the victim’s house.

Gray asked the City Council if it wanted to require that animals be quarantined at a certified facility instead of at home, but Gray said the board of health was ultimately in control of the decision.

Gray and Marengo City Councilman Travis Schlabach presented the request the board of health last week, said Maas, a member of the board of health.

The City of Marengo doesn’t need the board of health to change its policy, said Maas. Cities can make stricter policies if they want. “They already have more strict laws than we have,” she said.

Iowa County doesn’t have a facility that will take dogs for quarantine, said Maas. Pet owners would have to take their animals to Johnson County.

That costs about $100 a day, Maas said, and the animals must be quarantined for 10 days.

Many people can’t afford that, said Maas.

Supervisor Chairman Kevin Heitshusen said its easier for cities to meet county requirements than for the county to try to match the requirements of each city in the county.

That’s why the county policy is so vague, said Maas. Cities can be as lenient as or more strict than the county, as they choose, she said.

This appears to be a law enforcement issue rather than a health department issue, said Maas.