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Letter: Sioux City Council Should "Hold Firm" on Pit Bull Ban
Citizen Offers Encouragement
Sioux City, IW - Council members have been steadily honing a pit bull ban for a period of months. The proposed ban has passed two readings and requires one more to be enacted into law. Just before the last reading, set for September 15th, two new pit bull attacks have occurred. One involved a disabled teenager and the other a 4-year old girl. Both incidents involved innocent people attacked by loose pit bulls.
Passing a pit bull ordinance, particularly a ban, is no easy undertaking for a city council. Through "pit bull spamming," where non-local residents flood council member email inboxes with aggressive and intimidating emails, and loading up public hearings with loud, irrational individuals who cry, "THIS IS GENOCIDE!" council members have their hands full.
A common sense citizen reminds council members of the majority opinion in a recent letter to the editor at the Sioux City Journal newspaper.Letter to the editor: A very loud group of pit bull owners affected by the proposed ban continue to fight against what’s best for our community. I hope the City Council realizes these people don’t speak for most of us who understand that public safety is more important than one’s personal dog breed preference. Most of these advocates live in Merrill, Hinton or Lawton and feel they should have some influence on policy in Sioux City.
I think I speak for the silent majority in Sioux City when I say I don’t care much for pit bulls and really do think they pose a danger to our city. Especially after what happened to that poor boy attacked by two pit bulls when getting off a school bus.
While we all acknowledge that owners do play a role in pit bull problems, for those who insist that the problem is 100 percent owner driven, notice that the owner didn’t bite the poor child, and consider that if he had encountered a labrador when he got off the bus, he probably wouldn’t have suffered from more than some unwelcomed licking and panting.
We want something done about this, and I hope the City Council won’t be influenced be a highly vocal group with a minority opinion. Councilman Rochester deserves praise for working to resolve this problem on behalf of the honest and caring people in this city. It’s not going away, and the City Council needs to hold firm against animal rights wackos and do the right thing. - Matt J. Delzell Related articles:
09/04/08: Sioux City Teenager Attacked by Pit Bull Stepping Off Bus
08/27/08: Sioux City Irons Out Final Pit Bull Ordinance IssuesLabels: letter to the editor, pit bull ban, pit spamming
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Standing Firm on Pit Bull Ban: Councilman Powers Responds to Critics
Councilman Powers Stands by Pit Bull Ban
Lakewood, OH - Councilman Brian Powers responds to non-constituent critics about Lakewood City Council's efforts to make their city a safer place to live.When I agreed to serve as a member of Lakewood City Council, I vowed to strive to do the right thing for our residents, not necessarily the popular thing. Since introducing legislation to ban those dogs know as “pit bulls” from Lakewood, all members of Council have been deluged with e-mails arguing against such a ban, mostly from out-of-towners. Sadly, the pit bull ban is receiving an inordinate amount of public attention, even though it is but a small part of the broader effort by the Mayor and Council to make Lakewood a safer place to live. We should be focusing on the recent decision to add four new full-time and ten part-time police officers, but we are instead flooded with advice from out-of-state special interest groups about dogs.
In the past few weeks, I’ve personally been called a “hysterical demagogue” by out-of-town blogger Charles Brettell and have been labeled a “canine racist” by pit bull enthusiasts. Let’s get this straight: dogs are dogs and people are people. It is absurd to say that a pit bull ban is a form of racism. To compare human racial minorities to a breed of dogs is an insult and a trivialization of the very real issue of human racism.
Pit bull rescue groups are pledged to the protect pit bulls, so it is understandable that they do not like our proposed law. But members of Council have vowed to protect the people of Lakewood. Pit Bull Rescue Central argues that I have taken language out of context from their Web site. Yet, I quoted full sentences and whole paragraphs. The fact is that even pit bull supporters cannot deny that these dogs are different, as a result of very specific breeding practices. Here is further material from Pit Bull Rescue Central:
"It is unfortunate that one of the original purposes of the APBT [American Pit Bull Terrier] was (and still is) dog-to-dog combat, but it's a fact that can't be denied or ignored. It's important that every potential pit bull owner understand the selective breeding process that took place to make the dogs of today. …The American Pit Bull Terrier has been ‘selectively’ bred for hundreds of years to fight other dogs. This is the sad ‘work’ these dogs were created for. In the same way that Labradors were bred to retrieve birds, APBTs were bred to face other dogs in mortal combat. Even in dogs that are not recently bred from fighting lines, the urge to fight can arise at any time. Not to strongly emphasize this fact would be negligent….Training may help the owner control his/her dog, but it will not eliminate the risk for fights. In the case of a fighting breed, the urge to fight is often the result of genetic heritage. Remember that there is no magic cure to remove an inherited behavior selectively bred into a dog." (from PBRC.net)
Thus, it is clear that pit bulls ARE very different from other dogs. Some pit bull enthusiasts point to studies allegedly showing that golden retrievers and even poodles have a worse “temperament” than pit bulls. But the fact remains that, between 1982 and 2006, poodles killed no humans, while one person was strangled when a golden retriever accidentally tugged on a scarf, but pit bulls accounted for at least 110 deaths.
For the above reasons and for safety of our residents, I remain in support of the proposed “pit bull” ban.
Respectfully,
Brian Powers Related articles:
06/01/08: Pit Bull Ban FAQ by Councilman Brian PowersLabels: council member editorial, letter to the editor, pit bull ban, pit bull ordinance
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Residents Say Not Enough Being Done About Pit Bulls
SPCA Removes Pit Bulls From Home in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH - A neighborhood group complains pit bulls are a growing problem, even though pit bulls are banned in the city. The SPCA removed five of the dogs from a home in North Fairmount recently. The dogs were thin and showed visible scars, but investigators found no evidence of dogfighting,
Neighbor Jim McNulty says he's seeing far too many pit bulls on the West Side. Only the SPCA can identify and remove them. McNulty is asking city council to give police more teeth to act when they see a pit bull. The way it stands right now, he says, "nothing is being done." The dogs he says are not only illegal, they are a danger to kids and folks who work in the area.
There appears to be a breakdown in enforcement issues. If Jim McNulty or a resident of this area ever finds this blog post, please contact DogsBite.org and explain the situation.
Related articles:
04/07/08: Banned Pit Bull Breaks Chain, Attacks Children
12/15/07: Pit Bull Mauls Owner in CincinnatiLabels: pit bull ban
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Broward County: Banning Pit Bulls is Needed for Public Safety
Citizens in Broward County Voice Desire for Pit Bull Ban
Broward County, FL - A citizen of Broward County writes to the Sun-Sentinel.com about the escalating pit bull attacks and desire for public policy change. Debra K. Wilcox writes:
"In January, my husband (and dog) became one of Broward County's victim "statistics" of a pit bull attack. One morning, my husband was walking our medium-size dog, and as they were coming into our front yard, the neighbors' three pit bulls came charging at them from two houses down. They had come out of an unsecured fence, as they were often loose.
As the three pit bulls were tearing our dog into pieces, my husband was desperately trying to get our dog over our closed back fence. I heard the commotion outside, and it sounded like bloody murder, with our dog shrieking for her life. I ran outside screaming and scared the pit bulls away and off my husband, who ran in to call 911. They were both a bloody mess.
We later found out this owner had four pit bulls in his house. We have five children, ages 9 to 15. Most of the time, my 9-year-old daughter and I walk our little Yorkie in the mornings. I would hate to think what would have happened that particular morning if it were she and I walking the little dog instead of my husband and the medium-size dog.
This law banning pit bulls and other dangerous dogs in Broward County needs to be passed. Everyone needs to understand that these dogs truly are dangerous, especially to innocent children. Please, everyone, get on the bandwagon to ban these dangerous animals from Broward County. Call or write your local government and demand this law be passed. You may just save a child's life. You may save ours."
DogsBite.org urges citizens to keep writing their local newspapers. Our promise to you is that we will NOT stop publishing your stories and your voice. Labels: pit bull ban
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Ontario Pit Bull Ban Greatly Reduces Bite Count
Pit Bull Bites Drop
Toronto, CA - Since the Ontario Dog Owners' Liability Act took effect on Aug. 29, 2005, which bans the breeding, sale and ownership of pit bulls in the province of Ontario, reports of bites by pit bulls in Toronto have dropped dramatically. In 2004, there were 130 reports of pit bull bites. The numbers decreased greatly in subsequent years: 71 in 2005; 53 in 2006; and 44 in 2007.
Concern about pit bull attacks prompted the Ontario government to target pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and any other dog that possesses the physical characteristics of them. Existing owners could keep their dogs with restrictions including: mandatory sterilization and muzzled when off property.
Of the 722 pit bull type dogs that have been destroyed since the ban, 297 were euthanized because they lacked an owner; 188 due to behavioral problems; 12 due to court order; 42 due to illness and injury; and 183 upon request of their owner. Over time, as banned canines that fall under the pit bull label grow old and die, the targeted breeds will diminish in the community.
Related articles:
07/15/09: Canada Supreme Court Upholds Ontario's Pit Bull Ban: Rules Ban is Constitutional
10/24/08: Ontario Court Of Appeals Upholds Province's Pit Bull BanLabels: Canada, pit bull ban, statistics
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Pit Bull Ban Proposed in Plymouth
Pit Bull Ban Proposed in Plymouth
Plymouth, MI - Plymouth is considering either banning or restricting pit bulls. The Plymouth City Commission recently received a 100-signature petition proposing an ordinance that would ban pit bulls or animals bred for fighting. A second petition would not ban the dogs outright, but would force them to take precautions like fencing.
If they take the latter route, we can only hope they mandate 8 foot high fences.Labels: pit bull ban, pit bull ordinance
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Pit Bulls Banned in Madisonville, Texas
UPDATE 07/14/08: About 6 months after Madisonville passed their pit bull ordinance, the Mayor and City Council members folded to pressures from pit bull advocates. They scrapped their pit bull ban. Learn more here.
02/17/08: Madisonville Takes a Stand for Public Safety
Madisonville, TX - Who said cities with state-wide "prohibitive breed specific laws" could not pass breed specific laws? At DogsBite.org we count 5 such states (thus far) with cities within them that legally adopt breed specific laws. These states include: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Oklahoma.
As of February 14th, 2008, Pit bulls are no longer welcomed, or legal, in Madisonville, Texas. The city council passed an ordinance Monday effectively banning pit bulls within the city limits. Those who already have the breed can keep them, but there are some rules to follow (failure to comply can result in a fine of $50 a day). The rules include:
"$100,000 of liability protection; the dog must be kept in a locked pen or muzzled and leashed when taken out of the pen; a "Beware of Dog" sign must be posted; a photo of the pit bull must be provided to the city; you can't sell or transfer a dog within the city limits; if your dog has puppies, you have 10 weeks to get them out of Madisonville."With this knowledge in hand, DogsBite.org thinks it is High Noon in Lubbock, Texas. Ban pit bulls now. Let the legal chips fall into a dizzying array. The city of Lubbock has an epidemic on their hands. The have the right to take measures they deem reasonable to ensure public safety. These rights include the expansion of "police authority" and "what's best for the village." All tested State Supreme Courts on this issue have agreed.
Related article:
Madisonville's Pit Bull Ordinance
Find Ordinance's in Your StateLabels: pit bull ban
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A Two Year Review of Aurora, Colorado's Pit Bull Ban
Aurora's Pit Bull Ban Shows Results
Aurora, CO - In November 2005, the Aurora City Council adopted an ordinance banning pit bulls from the city. As a result, pit bull complaints are down, as are the number of the dogs that are confiscated. Reports of pit bulls biting people, however, rose slightly in 2007 compared with the previous year, from 11 to 8 accordingly.
Once again, the pro-pit bull community is rumbling. One blog even claims that in 2007, Aurora recorded 172 dogs bites, 15 from pit bulls and 157 from other breeds. What the blog fails to mention -- as most pit bull advocates do -- is that "one victim" equals "one bite count," regardless if the victim suffered one bite or 30, which pit bulls are notorious for inflicting. For instance, this case was recorded as one bite.
Other findings in the city's report reveal more information. For instance, over 635 pit bulls were euthanized in 2006, but only 173 in 2007; and 758 were impounded in 2006, compared with 269 last year. Also, the city issued 238 summonses for violations of the ban in 2006, compared with 137 the following year.
This trend shows a significant decrease in unwanted or unlicensed pit bulls that pose a public safety problem. City Councilman Larry Beer, chairman of the city's code enforcement committee, says:"I think Aurora is a safer place to be today because of this ordinance." Residents who already owned pit bulls were allowed to keep the dogs with restrictions. Petrina Morgan, a pit bull owner, she said she supports the ban and has gotten the insurance, put a microchip in her 8-year-old pit bull named Seymore, and done everything else that is required.
Aurora pit bull ban case history:
09/25/05: Neighbor Allegedly Points Gun At Pit Bull, Dog Owner
09/20/05: Commerce City Bans Pit Bulls
09/14/05: 4 Dogs Attack Man As He Works On His Truck
09/13/05: Dogs Shot, Killed After They Attack Goat, Horse
08/18/05: Pit Bulls Attack Aurora Collie As Council Considers Ban
08/16/05: Commerce City Moves Closer To Restricting Pit Bulls
08/15/05: Commerce City Considers Restrictions On Pit Bull Owners
08/14/05: Commerce City's Pit Bull Ordinance Up For Vote
08/09/05: Aurora Seeks Public Input On Pit Bull Ban
07/26/05: Commerce City Considers Pit Bull Ban
07/08/05: Aurora Considers Banning Pit Bulls
07/07/05: Westminster Pit Bull Mauls, Kills Neighbor's Sheltie
06/24/05: Police Kill Pit Bull While Serving Warrant
06/09/05: Pit Bulls Banned Again In Denver
04/08/05: Denver Allowed To Enforce Pit Bull Ban
02/24/05: Pit Bull Shot After Biting Officer
01/26/05: Pit Bull Breaks Chains, Kills 2 Poodles
01/06/05: Owner Of Killer Pit Bulls Turns Herself In
12/15/04: Pit Bull Owner Sentenced For Mauling DeathLabels: Aurora, pit bull ban
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Louisiana Police Chief Wants Pit Bull Ban
Louisiana Police Chief Wants Pit Bull Ban
In what may be the first US police chief to support a pit bull ban, Gary Pelican of Kinder, Louisiana has asked his town to consider such a ban. He cites several incidents involving the dogs, including one in which an officer shot one that attacked him."It's time to put an end to this," he said, saying he has the support of residents, many of whom are concerned for their children's safety." DogsBite.org hopes that Pelican's brave stance catches on to police forces nationwide. It's not just adults, seniors, children, and postal workers that are victimized by pit bulls, it is most certainly police officers as well. These dogs and other dangerous breeds are frequently used in criminal enterprises.Labels: pit bull ban
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