Monthly Archives: January 2010

Brampton, Ontario, Canada: Two dogs on death row due to breed misidentification

Posted on January 30, 2010 by | 6 Comments

Two dogs are in danger of being killed in Brampton because animal control officers have decided that the dogs look like “pit bulls” (banned in Ontario). Neither the dogs nor the owners have done anything wrong.

Rambo on death row as city, owners battle over breeding

Friday January 29 2010
By PAM DOUGLAS

Rambo wasn’t hurting anyone.

No one had complained about the young dog, he hadn’t escaped 75-year-old Maria Gaspar’s Vodden Street yard, and he had never bitten anyone.

But Rambo and his sister, Brittany, are on death row at the City of Brampton’s Animal Shelter right now while their owners are embroiled in a battle to get their beloved pets back before they are euthanized. The deadline- Feb. 5.

Both dogs were seized from separate homes on Jan. 13 by city animal control officials who said they believed the dogs to be pitbulls.

Their owners say that’s not true, and both say they have proof from veterinarians tracing their backgrounds as boxers/American bulldogs.[...]

Full story retrieved 1/30/10 from http://www.northpeel.com/news/article/85585

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Posted in Breed Identification, Canada, Results of BSL

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Toledo, OH: Dog warden office stops enforcing city ‘pit bull’ rule

Posted on January 29, 2010 by | Comments Off

Summary: The city of Toledo, Ohio has BSL limiting its residents to only one “pit bull” or “pit bull” mix, and mandating muzzles and leashes when away from home. Toledo has a $146K contract with the Lucas County Dog Warden, where Toldeo pays the warden’s office $100 for every “pit bull” related misdemeanor citation. On January 20, Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael Goulding found Toledo’s ownership restrictions exceed the state law, conflicting with home-rule doctrine. (Ohio law does designate “pit bulls” inherently vicious, but it does not: mandate muzzling; limit how many “pit bull” dogs one may own; group certain mixed breed dogs with “pit bulls.”) So, county and city officials requested the dog warden’s office to stop targeting “pit bulls” and “pit bull” mixes. (But they still refuse to adopt them out; all such dogs are euthanized by the county, unless claimed by their owners.) A committee may soon be rewriting the law — either a subcommittee of the existing Dog Warden Advisory Committee, or a new citizens task force. Groups including the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates and the Best Friends Animal Society are volunteering their expertise for such a task force.  Toledo City Council was scheduled to vote in early February on setting up a Toledo Dog Policy Advisory Task Force.

Dog warden office stops enforcing city ‘pit bull’ rule

Don’t target animals, deputies told

By JC REINDL
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published January 28, 2010

The Lucas County Dog Warden’s office has stopped enforcing the city of Toledo’s controversial vicious-dogs law and “pit bull” restrictions [because] parts of the law are unconstitutional….

Dog warden deputies have previously ventured onto Toledoans’ properties to seize dogs that look like “pit bulls”….

Toledo may soon have a citizen-led committee to rewrite the now-contested law….

Contact JC Reindl at: jreindl@theblade.com or 419-724-6065.

Full article retrieved 2010-01-29 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100128/NEWS16/100129670

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Posted in Court Cases, Ohio, Results of BSL

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Rome Township, OH: Banned dog ordinance lacks teeth (difficulty to enforce BSL)

Posted on January 29, 2010 by | 3 Comments

Banned dog ordinance lacks teeth

DAVID E. MALLOY
The Herald-Dispatch
January 28, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

ROME TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Pit bulls and other dogs described as vicious are being banned in Rome Township, but enforcement could be a problem.

The Rome Township Board of Trustees approved a resolution banning residents from owning pit bull terriers or vicious dogs last summer….

However, County Dog Warden Bill Click said he doesn’t have the manpower to enforce the ban….

Full article retrieved 2010-01-29 from http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/ohio/x300714136/Banned-dog-ordinance-lacks-teeth

Other alerts for Rome Twnshp, OH: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22Rome+Township%2C+OH%22

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Posted in BSL Passed, Ohio, Results of BSL

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Auburn, CA: Auburn studies dog rules (breed-specific MSN)

Posted on January 26, 2010 by | Comments Off

Auburn has been discussing breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter for several months. Previous alerts for Auburn: http://stopbsl.com/?s=auburn

The City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

Auburn studies dog rules

Pitbull supporters assemble to protest breed-specific regulations

By Michelle Miller-Carl Journal News Editor

Pitbull supporters turned out for the Auburn City Council meeting Monday night to hear a status report on updates to the city’s animal regulations, including any that may target the breed.[...]

Full article retrieved 1/26/10 from http://auburnjournal.com/detail/140568.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id

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Posted in BSL Proposed, California

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Memphis, TN: Meeting to discuss BSL postponed to Feb. 9

Posted on January 26, 2010 by | Comments Off

Thanks, Jodi and Taylor, for this notice.

Memphis, TN, city council was to discuss breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter today, Jan. 26, during the city council meeting. This meeting has been postponed to Feb. 9.

This time can be used to continue to contact city officials regarding this discriminatory proposal.

Previous alert for Memphis (with contact info for city officials): http://stopbsl.com/2010/01/24/memphis-tn-reminder-public-meeting-to-discuss-breed-specific-mandatory-spayneuter-jan-26/

All alerts for Memphis, TN:  http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22Memphis%2C+TN%22

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Tennessee

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Venezuela: Pit bulls to be banned at end of 2014

Posted on January 25, 2010 by | 3 Comments

Translated from Google Translate

Venezuela restricts possession of certain dogs

By: AP Agency
Wednesday, 06 Jan of 2010

CARACAS ( AP ). Venezuelan authorities restricted the ownership and possession of pit bulls, according to a new law that, among other things, prohibited after 2014 from owning dogs of this race.

With the new law on protection of domestic animals, which took effect Monday upon publication in the official gazette, was forbidden to import, reproduce, adopt, raise and market the pit bull, a name that usually includes at least two breeds of dogs : the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier.[...]

Full article retrieved 1/25/10 from http://www.telemetro.com/inter/2010/01/06/nota45284.html (untranslated)

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Posted in BSL Passed, Outside of U.S.

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Sioux City, IA: Hobart calls for softening city’s animal laws

Posted on January 25, 2010 by | Comments Off

Previous alerts for Sioux City: http://stopbsl.com/?s=sioux+city%2C+ia

Hobart calls for softening city’s animal laws

Council to consider vicious-animal hearing procedures Monday

By Lynn Zerschling – lzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:00 am

SIOUX CITY — Mayor Mike Hobart wants the city to backtrack on animal laws passed on his watch, saying he wants to lift the pit bull ban and, under certain circumstances, give owners of animals declared vicious a chance to place their pets in new homes outside the city.[...]

Full article retrieved 1/25/10 from http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_8bc348f9-2f59-5336-8b51-668a01490595.html

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Posted in Court Cases, Iowa, Proposal to Repeal

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Memphis, TN reminder: Public meeting to discuss breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter, Jan. 26

Posted on January 24, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Edit 2/11/10: This discussion has been delayed until mid-March. Councilmember Flinn is apparently reworking the ordinance with the assistance of animal welfare groups.

Memphis City Council is considering an ordinance that would require the mandatory spay/neuter of all “pit bulls” during their city council meeting on Jan. 26, at City Hall, 125 North Main Street.

It is important to remember that breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) is breed-specific legislation. Breed-specific MSN is fraught with all of the problems associated with breed-specific laws–including unequal treatment of dog owners, subjective identification of dog breed based on appearance alone, and no evidence that such laws improve public safety.

Additionally, mandatory spay/neuter is not supported by No-Kill advocates, as it has not been shown to reduce shelter populations. MSN is a financial hardship on many people. Low-cost voluntary spay/neuter is a much more effective alternative.

Councilmembers:
Bill Morrison
William C. Boyd
Harold B.Collins
WandaHalbert
Jim Strickland
Edmund Ford, Jr.
Barbara Swearengen Ware
Joe Brown
Janis Fullilove
Myron Lowery
Kemp Conrad
Shea Flinn
Reid Hedgepeth

Contact all members at once by mailing, calling, or faxing the City Council office:
125 North Main Street, Room 514, Memphis, TN 38103
Ph: (901) 576-6786
Fax: (901) 576-6796
Or visit the website and view contact info for each member:
http://memphistn.gov/framework.aspx?page=690

Previous alert for Memphis: http://stopbsl.com/2010/01/13/memphis-tn-breed-specific-mandatory-spayneuter-proposed/

Memphis City Council Considers Pit Bull Law

Reported by: Jeni DiPrizio
Email: jdiprizio@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 1/18 7:55 pm

MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis City Council [is] considering passing a law [to] require all pit bulls be spayed or neutered…. Pit bull owners would have to get a special license….

It will be discussed at the council’s next meeting January 26, 2010.

Full article retrieved 2010-01-24 from http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Memphis-City-Council-Considers-Pit-Bull-Law/F1VrekSz2kKVF554Qcx8ug.cspx

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Tennessee

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Tyler, TX: Editorial calls for BSL

Posted on January 22, 2010 by | Comments Off

A newspaper in Tyler, TX, has issued a public demand for BSL. This is the latest in a string of calls to allow Texas municipalities to pass BSL, something currently prohibited by state law.

StopBSL has a policy against reprinting editorials on the site. However, you may wish to read the editorial for yourself and comment at the link.

http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20100119/OPINION01/1180321

Of note is the article writer’s suggestion that “an expert — such as an animal control officer — can make a judgment call on what is and what isn’t a pit bull. It’s hard to mistake that crushing jaw.” First, animal control officers are not “experts” in breed identification. In most places in Texas, the job requirements for an animal control officer or an animal shelter worker are: high school diploma (or GED) and ability to drag 50 pounds of dead weight. Scientific studies have proven that even people with years of experience handling dogs cannot correctly identify a dog’s breed nor identify a “pit bull” in the vast majority of cases. BSL is subjectively enforced, sweeping up all kinds of innocent dogs based on little more than someone’s opinion about whether it looks “pit bull enough.”

To combat the media and groups who are pushing for BSL in Texas, Love-A-Bull has started a petition that will be delivered to legislators twice in the next year. In the last three months, Love-A-Bull and petition supporters have collected 1300 signatures. Texans may contribute to this effort by downloading signature sheets and collecting signatures for the petition. More information can be found here: http://love-a-bull.org/2009/10/petition-against-breed-discriminatory-legislation-in-texas/

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Posted in Texas, Whispers of BSL

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Toledo, OH: Judge says Toledo’s “pit bull” law flawed

Posted on January 22, 2010 by | Comments Off

Judge says Toledo’s ‘pit bull’ law flawed

Some aspects cited as unconstitutional

By JC REINDL

BLADE STAFF WRITER

Article published January 21, 2010

[...] Toledo Municipal Court [Judge Michael Goulding] yesterday found numerous aspects of the city’s “vicious dogs” law unconstitutional, countering a ban on owning more than one “pit bull” and excluding “pit bull” mixed breeds as inherently vicious.

The ruling … involved the case of a Toledo man, Hugh Smith, who was charged with 13 violations of the city’s dog laws in October.

That month, the Lucas County Dog Warden’s Office seized what it deemed to be three “pit bull” dogs from Mr. Smith’s home….

Judge Goulding yesterday dismissed 10 of the charges against Mr. Smith, asserting that the city’s muzzle requirement and one-only limit for “pit bulls” are unconstitutional as they conflict with home-rule doctrine….

Contact JC Reindl at: jreindl@theblade.com or 419-724-6065.

Full article retrieved 2010-01-22 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100121/NEWS16/1210344/0/SRMAIN

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Posted in Court Cases, Ohio, Results of BSL

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