Virginia should maintain and standardize its Dangerous Dog Registry. This is an important tool for citizens to be able to check for dangerous animals in their area, or to check for dogs they meet in an aggressive encounter to determine if the dog may have a previous history of violence. 

Furthermore, the registry should be either standardized or direction given to Animal Control divisions in localities across the commonwealth to advise how they must enter "the facts that resulted in the dog being designated as dangerous." Animal control officers should not be able to subjectively choose "the facts" they enter on the registry. My mom and her dog were attacked four times in the public road by the same dog, resulting in her need for urgent care twice, and her dog requiring veterinary care 3 times, and "the facts" listed for this dog on the registry read,  "attacked a neighbor's dog." This dog was also found to have attacked two other people in the neighborhood who did not require medical care. The understatement of the dog's offenses is inaccurate, inappropriate, and is not in the interest of public safety.

The registry should require "the facts" to include the number of times a dog has attacked humans and other animals, whether medical or vet care was required in each attack, and whether those attacks happened off or on the owner's property and whether they happened on public or private property. 

This registry absolutely should not be abolished and should be strengthened as a reference tool in the interest of public safety.