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Tea City Council altering dog rules

New regulations to take place of ban on pit bulls

John Hult
Argus Leader
January 10, 2009

TEA – Tea might rescind its ban on pit bulls in favor of rules requiring dog owners to spay or neuter their animals and purchase liability insurance.

The City Council voted 4-2 earlier this week in favor of writing a new ordinance to deal with pit bulls and possibly place restrictions on other breeds of large dog.

Council member Herman Otten said he’s convinced that spaying or neutering animals decreases their aggression, and he says requiring the procedure would be preferable to an outright ban.

Otten also would expect the owners of pit bulls and breeds crossed with wolves to carry liability insurance of more than $100,000, initially suggesting that owners have $500,000 of coverage.

A Tea resident who owns two pit bulls asked the council in December to consider removing the 12-year-old ban, generating discussions on dog ownership rules.

Council member Brian Fowlds agreed Monday with Otten on rescinding the ban.

“I’m not against restricting them. I’m against banning them,” Fowlds said.

Chuck Ortmeier and Sid Munsen voted against rescinding the ban.

Fowlds, Otten and Joe Weis will form a committee to draft an ordinance. Otten brought a list of restrictions culled from various municipalities to the meeting Monday and said that many of them could end up in a new ordinance.

In addition to pit bull regulations, the rules could place restrictions on chows, Dobermans, German shepherds and Rottweilers. Otten’s list of proposals included one to forbid felons from owning those breeds.

The starter proposal also included additional requirements for pit bull owners. “Dangerous animal” signs would need to be posted at the dog owner’s residence, containment areas would need to be surrounded by a 6-foot fence, and the dogs would need to wear leashes and muzzles in public.

Pit bull owners Brian and Cheriee Watterson recently moved to Tea and said their pit has been harassed by other dogs whose owners fail to train them properly.

“I think it would make more sense to enforce your leash law,” Brian Watterson said. “I think the issue you have is with ignorant owners.”

Resident Jennifer McNamara agreed. She told the council she feels breed-specific rules hamstring officers in the event that she or her children are attacked by a dog that isn’t listed as potentially dangerous. Animal ordinances should apply to all dogs, she said.

“I just feel that a breed ban is not the most effective protection for me,” she said.

One additional rule proposal is that owners cited for violations who contest their dog’s status as a pit bull would be required to pay for a DNA test.

Ortmeier said he is concerned with writing a law too complex to be enforced.

“We’re trying to keep up with the ban, and now you’ll have 12 more things to keep up with,” he said.

Any new ordinance would be looked over by the city attorney and subject to two public hearings before becoming law.