Arpin, Wisconsin Chooses Public Safety Over Pit Bulls

Arpin Bans Pit Bulls and Dangerous Dogs
Arpin, WI - The village of Arpin will not allow any new pit bulls to live in the community after revisions to the village's dog ordinance were published last week. Aprin joins several other Wisconsin cities that regulate pit bulls including: Neillsville, Hewitt, Juneau and Milwaukee.

The additions include making it illegal to own a dog that threatens any person, or is a pit bull or pit bull-mix. Dogs of that breed that are already registered with the village as of April 1 are grandfathered in, but if one were to attack a person, it would result in the dog not being allowed in the village.

Arpin isn't alone in banning pit bulls. In 2003, Neillsville approved a ban that also grandfathered in registered dogs. The year prior to the ban going into effect, eight serious dog bites were reported, and five involved pit bulls in Neillsville, according to Marshfield News-Herald archives.

Wausau also discussed creating a ban against pit bulls in 2000, but the city ultimately defined and banned "dangerous animals." A dangerous animal is one that approaches or chases humans and other animals in a menacing fashion, bites, inflicts injury, attacks or is trained primarily for the purpose of fighting.

In other words, after the pit bull creates a new victim, the dog is banned. This is not a proactive approach to public safety.