Click HERE for a link to the city's current animal codes.
A recent string of dog bite incidents has people in Grand Island upset, and community members say city officials aren't doing enough to keep residents safe.
Five-year-old Kasha Titman is still recovering from a dog attack that happened nearly a month ago. A pit bull escaped from a backyard just off the bike path she and her sisters take home from Shoemaker Elementary.
"The dog came over and jumped on me," Kasha says.
It's just one recent dog bite in Grand Island that has community members concerned.
Kasha's dad Jeremy says a dog that attacks a child once, it will likely happen again.
Current city animal codes mark a dog that has only bit one person as "potentially dangerous," meaning it can stay in its home.
"I don't understand it. Other people don't understand it. They need to put in place relevant animal codes," Grand Island resident John Dudziak says.
Central Nebraska Humane Society officials agree.
"We've had animals killed, we've had people severely bitten," CNHS Director Laurie Dethloff says.
Dudziak and others in Grand Island say enough is enough.
"We're having too many incidents where people are being attacked," Dudziak says.
Grand Island Assistant City Attorney Jason Eley estimates the city gets a dog bite complaint about once a week. He's working with the Humane Society and animal control officers on looking over and updating the codes.
"They're looking at tethering laws and keeping dogs in safe environments where they're not kept outside for long periods of time," Eley says.
They'll eventually present those ideas to the City Council.
But until changes are made, Kasha and her parents say they're not taking any chances.
"She will not walk home from school," Kasha's mom Latona says. "We have to go and pick her up and drop her off."
