Long Beach City Council To Consider Dangerous Dog Ordinance

Pit Bulls Continue to Attack People's Pets
Long Beach, CA - The city of Long Beach could soon be cracking down on dangerous dogs after two separate incidents in which off-leash pit bulls attacked and killed two dogs. The City Council's Public Safety Committee is expected to meet soon to discuss tightening laws and increase penalties for owners with potentially dangerous dogs. The ordinance was first proposed after two pit bulls fatally mauled a greyhound last November. The proposal includes:

• A well-defined procedure for determining if a dog is potentially dangerous
• Increased penalties and a spay or neuter requirement for dogs found running loose more than once
• An option for first-time animal ordinance offenders to choose an education program over costly fines
• Mandatory pet micro-chipping

The city's most recent dangerous dog incident occurred on Jan. 30, when a woman's Chihuahua was killed by two pit bulls at the dog beach in Belmont Shore. The owner had been videotaping her dog playing in the sand. She left her camcorder on her wrist as she tried to help her struggling pet and accidentally recorded the attack. She then posted the video on the YouTube Web site, in the hope that someone will identify the pit bulls.

If you have information on the Jan. 30 attack please call the City of Long Beach Animal Control Division at (562) 570-3066.