The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has issued more citations than average this year to dog owners whose animals have been caught chasing, killing or injuring livestock, attributing the increase in a news release to a rule change reclassifying free-range chickens as livestock.

According to David Doyle, Deschutes County legal counsel, this change was a much-needed update to county code. Doyle has served on and off on the county dog control board — the body that hears complaints about dogs chasing or killing livestock — for 30 years, and he said dogs chasing free-range chickens has always been an issue but until now there was nothing law enforcement could do about it.

“We were getting a lot of situations where chickens were out of a cage, say in a backyard or side pasture, that had an attack from a dog. The chicken owner would call the county, and the sheriff’s office, and animal folks would show up and would have to tell them ‘I’m sorry, the way the code reads, we can’t do anything because they’re not caged,” Doyle said.

The code change went into effect in February, and in 2024 there have been six hearings held in front of the Deschutes County Dog Control Board involving free-range chickens. In 2023, there was only one, county officials said.

“Hopefully the word will get out, and dog owners will be a little more cognizant that their dogs shouldn’t be off premise in the first place. And secondly, they certainly shouldn’t be going onto other people’s property and causing damage to livestock of any kind, chickens or otherwise,” Doyle told The Bulletin.

If a complaint is filed by a livestock owner and the owner is found guilty during a dog control board hearing, the fine can range between $250 to $1,000 per violation. The owner will also be subject to impound fees incurred.

While Doyle said he can’t remember an instance where a dog was euthanized for terrorizing chickens, it’s possible the dog may be taken away from the owner if there are repeat offenses. Typically in those situations, he said, the Humane Society will find a new home for the dog.

However, dogs in Deschutes County have been euthanized for attacking people and killing other livestock, such as goats. Earlier this year the dog control board ordered three dogs that fatally mauled a man in the Juniper Ridge homeless encampment in July 2023 to be euthanized.

In response to the rise in complaints, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has hired an additional animal control technician to cover the increased workload.