Dogs attack more than 4.7 million Americans, or almost 2 percent of the population, every year.

With so many attacks, government officials are trying to deal with the situation. State Rep. Mike Boland (D-Moline) introduced House Bill 4238 to the General Assembly to tackle this issue.

The bill is an amendment to the Animal Control Act, and, if passed, would hold dog owners responsible for knowingly allowing their dog to attack another individual.

“This only applies if it is off of the owner’s property and if the dog causes serious physical harm,” Boland said.

If the owner of the dog is found guilty of the crime the owner could be charged with a Class four felony, which is punishable with one to three years in jail and up to a $25,000 fine, he said.

Boland decided to sponsor the bill because of an incident that occurred in his district. In January 2005, a pack of dogs attacked a 14-year-old girl. Soon after, she died from injuries resulting from the attack.

“The child’s birth father used to be a student of mine, and he asked me to do something about it because he did not want his daughter to die in vain,” Boland said.

When the bill was first presented it focused on “vicious dogs.”

State Rep. Robert W. Pritchard (R-Hinckley) said he believes proving a dog vicious is a difficult task to establish legally. The bill since been changed to apply to all dogs.

Pritchard said, “The bill was introduced to put more responsibility on dog owners, especially those who raise and train their dogs to become vicious and fighting dogs.”

Susan McMaster, president of Horizon Management, Inc. and dog owner, said she agrees with the bill.

“This is appropriate. My daughter survived a dog attack when she was about two years old,” she said.

McMaster said she especially feels the bill is appropriate for dog owners who train their dogs to become vicious fighting dogs. “It is a tremendous responsibility to own a weapon, and a guard dog is a weapon.”

“If you allow your dog to attack someone else you deserve to be punished,” she said.

Kankakee resident Amy Kennett, who owns a beagle, said dogs can be used as self defense.

“I think that if I am walking my dog and someone attacks me, my dog should attack them because my dog is supposed to protect me,” Kennett said.

Attacks on people can and do occur, Pritchard said. Dog attacks range from minor to serious injury and can even result in death.

In public areas, owners are expected to keep their dogs under control, which means on a leash or in a confined area.

It is understood dogs sometimes are let loose in an open backyard or sometimes they may break from their leashes, Pritchard said. If this happens there may be exemptions for the owner.

The bill also allows for some exceptions. There are three groups of dogs that are exempt: hunting dogs, police dogs and dogs in a dog park.