Monthly Archives: July 2011

Preston, ID: Council to consider BSL repeal, July 18

Posted on July 17, 2011 by | 1 Comment

After a request by a resident, Preston city council will consider repeal of long-standing BSL. The police chief and the city attorney have researched the issue of BSL and intend to make a recommendation during the council meeting on July 18. At this time, we do not know what the recommendation will be.

Preston currently includes in its definition of “vicious animal”: “any pit bull terrier, defined as any Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed of dog or any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding the breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier as to be identified as partially of the breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier by a qualified veterinarian duly licensed as such by the state.” Various restrictions are placed on the ownership of vicious animals.

Contact info for Preston
City Of Preston, 70 West Oneida, Preston, ID 83263
Phone: (208) 852-1817
Fax: (208) 852-1820
E-Mail: prestoncity@prestonidaho.net
Mayor and Council
F. Lee Hendrickson, Mayor, bigbaron37@q.com
Saundra Hubbard, Council President, 302momhub@gmail.com
Neal P. Larson, larsonnp@gmail.com
Travis M. Kunz, cpa@sparrowkunz.com
Todd D. Thomas, toddthomas@prestonidaho.net

Email block for cut-and-paste
bigbaron37@q.com; 302momhub@gmail.com; larsonnp@gmail.com; cpa@sparrowkunz.com; toddthomas@prestonidaho.net

Dog in exile: Ordinance forces Preston family to keep pit bull out of town

Posted: Sunday, July 17, 2011 11:49 am
By Devin Felix

[...] The council plans to consider the issue at its meeting Monday, and the Tolmans hope the members will vote to remove the portion of the law that singles out pit bulls.[...]

Tolman approached the City Council at its June 20 meeting to ask for an exemption to the ordinance, presenting letters from the dog’s veterinarian and several others who are familiar with the dog vouching for his non-aggressive demeanor. The council denied the exemption but asked city attorney Clyde Nelson and Chief Sparrow to research the issue of breed-specific restrictions and make a recommendation on whether the ordinance should be changed.

Council member Travis Kunz said he sympathizes with the Tolman family, but he couldn’t say whether the council would be willing to change the ordinance. Kunz said he began researching the issue after Tolman approached the council and found that pit bulls have a long reputation of aggression. He said he is concerned that granting an exemption for the Tolmans or changing the ordinance might lead to the city being held liable if Toby or another pit bull were to attack someone. [...]

Full article retrieved 7/17/11 from http://news.hjnews.com/news/article_8702de30-b09d-11e0-a7b8-001cc4c002e0.html

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Posted in Idaho, Proposal to Repeal

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Kearney, MO: Council to vote on BSL repeal, July 18

Posted on July 17, 2011 by | Comments Off

Kearney, MO council has been asked by a resident to repeal their breed ban. The board of aldermen has agreed to consider the request—and has been collecting public input on the subject. The board will discuss and vote on the repeal during the council meeting on July 18 at 6:30 PM at city hall.

Kearney residents had the opportunity to voice their opinions about possible repeal of BSL via a survey in their water bills. Residents may also fill out this online form: http://www.ci.kearney.mo.us/Pit-Bull-Ordinance-Survey.asp

This is a great opportunity to educate the board on the failures of BSL, and encourage them to move toward breed-neutral measures of animal control.

Kearney, Missouri City Hall
100 E Washington St., Kearney, MO 64060
816-628-4142
City Clerk  Joan Updike, (816) 903-4726, jupdike@ci.kearney.mo.us
(You may send correspondence to the city clerk and ask that it be handed out to the council members and mayor. )

All alerts for Kearney: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22kearney%2C+mo%22

‘Ruff’ decision

By Kevin M. Smith
POSTED: 10:47 am CDT July 13, 2011

The past two Kearney Board of Aldermen meetings have brought audience members who don’t usually attend those meetings. While the topic of their interest has not been on the agenda, they have been awaiting such a discussion.

They have been proponents of repealing the pit bull ban in Kearney.

Such a discussion and vote is scheduled for the next Kearney Board of Aldermen meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 18, at Kearney City Hall, 100 E. Washington St. [...]

Full article retrieved 7/16/11 from http://www.kccommunitynews.com/kearney-courier-news/28533692/detail.html

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Posted in Missouri, Proposal to Repeal

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Wyoming, MI: Council to receive “pit bull presentation,” July 18 (possible BSL)

Posted on July 17, 2011 by | 1 Comment

One Wyoming, MI, resident is pushing for breed-specific laws. Although nothing official has been proposed yet, the police department is scheduled to give a “pit bull presentation” on July 18. At this time, it is not known what information the “pit bull presentation” will contain. Locals and residents, please attend the meeting and voice your concerns about breed-specific legislation.

City Council Meeting and “pit bull presentation”
Monday, July 18, at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers.

City of Wyoming, 1155 – 28th Street SW, PO Box 905, Wyoming, MI  49509
Phone:  616.530.7238
Contact the city council via a feedback form: https://www.ci.wyoming.mi.us/feedback/feedback.asp

City Council Formal Sessions are held at City Hall in the Council Chambers on the first and third Monday of each month at 7:00 PM and the Work Sessions are held at City Hall in the Council Chambers on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM to review items for upcoming meetings.

All alerts for Wyoming, MI: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22wyoming%2C+mi%22

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Posted in Michigan, Whispers of BSL

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Waukesha, WI: Alderman claims to be working on BSL or ban

Posted on July 15, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Waukesha alderman Kathleen Cummings has stated that she is working with the city attorney and police to draft an ordinance that would restrict “pit bulls and other dangerous breeds.” Please send polite, respectful correspondence to city officials, explaining the failings of BSL, and provide reasonable, effective breed-neutral options for their consideration.

Contact info for Waukesha officials
City Hall, 201 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI 53188
Mayor, 262-524-3700, jscrima@ci.waukesha.wi.us or mayor@ci.waukesha.wi.us
City Administrator, cityadmin@ci.waukesha.wi.us
Common Council
Terry Thieme, tthieme@sbcglobal.net
Kathleen M. Cummings, kcummings@ci.waukesha.wi.us (proposed BSL or ban)
Eric Payne (no email provided)
Steve Johnson, sgjohnson10@hotmail.com
Christopher Hernandez, alddist3@ci.waukesha.wi.us (does not support ban)
Roger Patton, revroger.patton2@gmail.com (proposed BSL / ban)
Joe Pieper, joseph.pieper@sbcglobal.net
Richard Hastings, alddist12@ci.waukesha.wi.us
Paul Ybarra, paulrybarra@gmail.com
Andy Reiland, Andy.Reiland@safway.com (does not support ban)
Brian White, bwhite@ci.waukesha.wi.us
Joan Francoeur, jfrancoeur@ci.waukesha.wi.us
John W. Kalblinger, alddist7@ci.waukesha.wi.us
Duane Paulson, alddist15@ci.waukesha.wi.us (supports ban or BSL)
Vance Skinner, alddist8@ci.waukesha.wi.us

Email block for cut and paste
jscrima@ci.waukesha.wi.us; mayor@ci.waukesha.wi.us; cityadmin@ci.waukesha.wi.us; tthieme@sbcglobal.net; kcummings@ci.waukesha.wi.us; sgjohnson10@hotmail.com; alddist3@ci.waukesha.wi.us; revroger.patton2@gmail.com; joseph.pieper@sbcglobal.net; alddist12@ci.waukesha.wi.us; paulrybarra@gmail.com; Andy.Reiland@safway.com; bwhite@ci.waukesha.wi.us; jfrancoeur@ci.waukesha.wi.us; alddist7@ci.waukesha.wi.us; alddist15@ci.waukesha.wi.us; alddist8@ci.waukesha.wi.us

Next city council meeting: July 19, 2011, at 7:30 PM. City Hall, Council Chambers, 201 Delafield Street, Waukesha, WI 53188  (Note, however, that the public comment section of the council meeting is reserved for “city residents and taxpayers only.”)

Humane Official: Biting Animals Ordinance Would Be Positive Outcome of Sad Situation

By Amy Gilgenbach

[. . . Alderman Kathleen Cummings] will be working with the city attorney and police to craft a city ordinance which may include restricting pit bulls or other breeds that are considered dangerous. In talking to people about the situation, even other dog owners are concerned about the reputation of pit bulls, she said.

“It’s obvious we need stronger legislation when it comes to certain breeds,” she said.

She said that they would also be considering how other communities address this issue and proceeding with caution. [...]

Full article retrieved 7/15/11 from http://waukesha.patch.com/articles/humane-official-biting-animals-ordinance-would-be-positive-outcome-of-sad-situation

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Posted in Whispers of BSL, Wisconsin

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Oakwood, OH: Vicious dog ordinance is a compromise

Posted on July 14, 2011 by | Comments Off

Oakwood, OH has passed a new vicious dog ordinance that is breed-specific… sort of.

Oakwood initially did not have a vicious dog ordinance, and presumably applied and enforced state law with regards to vicious dogs. Ohio state law labels all “pit bull”-type dogs to be “vicious,” and restricts ownership accordingly.

Oakwood recently decided to institute their own vicious dog law. An early draft of the ordinance referred specifically to American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and Bull Terriers as vicious breeds. This early draft was more detailed than state law, which defines “pit bull” as “any breed commonly known as a pit bull.” The concern with this draft (aside from the obvious, that it was breed-specific) was that if Ohio’s breed-specific state law is repealed via House Bill 14 or similar bill, Oakwood’s ordinance stands on its own and would still contain breed-specific language.

Subsequent revision of the proposal removed the specific reference to “pit bulls.” In its place, however, Oakwood’s new ordinance now refers to Ohio state code definition of a vicious dog. Specifically, it reads that a vicious dog “Is of a breed designated as a vicious dog under Ohio Revised Code Section 955.11 or 955.22, as the same may be amended from time to time.”

By including a reference to state law, rather than specifically naming breeds, Oakwood is now relying on state law to define vicious breeds. If the state law is repealed and replaced with something that is not breed-specific, Oakwood’s ordinance will reflect the repeal.

Oakwood’s new ordinance is a compromise. They must follow state law, which is breed-specific with regards to vicious dogs. They could have gone further, and passed an ordinance that named specific breeds; their ordinance would have remained intact even if the state law had changed. Instead, they chose a middle ground, and their ordinance refers to state law; if state law changes, their ordinance will, too.

All alerts for Oakwood, OH: http://stopbsl.com/?s=oakwood

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Posted in BSL Passed, Ohio

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Marinette, WI: Council committee proposes breed ban

Posted on July 13, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Thanks to Tiffany for the heads up about Marinette!

Marinette, WI, Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee has written up a proposed ordinance to ban ”pit bulls”; the committee considered the proposal during a meeting today. The committee has decided to perform additional research on the issue before advancing the proposed ordinance to city council.

Residents and locals, please send polite, respectful, informative correspondence to the city council as they prepare to look into the issue further. You may wish to demonstrate the ethical, financial, and public safety failures of BSL and breed bans; you may also wish to provide reasonable, effective, and fair breed-neutral ordinances for their consideration.

Marinette City Hall, 1905 Hall Avenue, Marinette, WI 54143-1716 
Mayor Robert M. Harbick, mayor@marinette.wi.us
Elected officials’ contact information may be viewed here (emails not available): http://www.marinette.wi.us/government/elected_officials.php

The Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee meets on the second Wednesday of  each month at 4:45 PM. City Council meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. Call 715.732.5120 for more information.

Pit bull ban?

Marinette is considering banning pit bulls

Published : Wednesday, 13 Jul 2011, 9:42 PM CDT
Reporter: Becky DeVries

MARINETTE – Should people be allowed to own pit bulls? Marinette is considering an ordinance that would keep all pit bulls out of the city. [...]

According to the Marinette public safety and code enforcement committee chair, Marinette’s mayor asked the city attorney to draft an ordinance banning residents from owning pit bulls. [...]

Ten people spoke up at the committee meeting, all against an ordinance banning pit bulls. [...]

The committee unanimously voted to put the idea on hold and look into more research, before making a recommendation to the full city council.[...]

Full article retrieved 7/13/11 from http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/north_counties/marinette-considers-pit-bull-ordinance

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Wisconsin

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Trumann, AR: “Pit bulls” now banned

Posted on July 13, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Trumann, AR, has had a breed-specific law in place for many years (all “pit bulls” are regulated as “vicious” dogs). The BSL has apparently not had any good effect on their dog control issues, so last night the city council voted to ban “pit bulls” instead. There is a grandfather clause, but owners of grandfathered “pit bulls” are subject to heavy ownership restrictions.

Going back in my files, it appears that Trumann has occasionally considered an all-out ban since at least 2006. The officials’ reasoning for the ban has consistently been that ”pit bull” owners aren’t complying with the vicious dog law—therefore, a ban is necessary. Officials seem to feel that the same scofflaws that couldn’t or wouldn’t follow the old breed-specific restrictions will suddenly become fine law-abiding citizens now that the new ban is in place.

Trumann City Hall
Mayor: Sheila Walters
Clerk: Marlene Hancock
P.O. Box 100, Trumann, AR 72472
Phone 870.483.5355
Fax: 870.483.6833
citytrumann72472@yahoo.com

Trumann bans pit bulls from city limits

Posted: Jul 13, 2011 12:11 PM CDT
By Josh Harvison

TRUMANN, AR (KAIT) – [...] Members of the council voted in favor of an ordinance to amend Ordinance #499 regarding vicious or dangerous animals. Among the changes in the ordinance include the banning of specific breeds.

“We had a vicious dog ordinance for several years, however, we didn’t feel like it was strong enough,” said [Mayor] Walters.

According to language in the ordinance, all American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and other specific breeds will be banned from the city limits. Other animal limitations include animal fighting or attack training.

Section I of the ordinance permits owners to “grandfather” their pit bull pets into the city if they register the animal with the Trumann Animal Control Office within 60 days.[...]

Walters said residents have not abided by other vicious dog ordinances. [...]

Full article retrieved 7/13/11 from http://www.kait8.com/story/15075401/trumann-passes-ordinance-on-pit-bulls

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Posted in Arkansas, BSL Passed

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Savannah, GA: Citizens call for BSL, gather petition signatures

Posted on July 13, 2011 by | 5 Comments

Update 7/22/11: The group claims to have collected 1,000 signatures in support of BSL. The petition will be presented to city council today.

Residents in and around Savannah, please attend upcoming city council meetings to help guide city council response away from breed-specific laws and toward effective breed-neutral options.

Town hall meeting tonight, July 13, 7 PM at Savannah Civic Center.
City Council meeting July 14 and July 28, 2 PM in Council Chambers, City Hall, Second Floor.

Contact info for city council
Mayor Otis Johnson, Ph.D, otis_johnson@savannahga.gov
Edna B. Jackson, EdnaJackson3@comcast.net
Jeff Felser, jfelser@sabrelink.com
Van R. Johnson, II, aldermanjohnson1@aol.com
Mary Osborne, alderwoman.osborne@gmail.com
Larry Stuber, larrystuber@bellsouth.net
Mary Ellen Sprague, memesprague@juno.com
Clifton Jones, Jr., cliftonjjr@aol.com
Tony Thomas, aldermanthomas@aol.com

Email block for cut and paste
otis_johnson@savannahga.gov; EdnaJackson3@comcast.net; jfelser@sabrelink.com; aldermanjohnson1@aol.com; alderwoman.osborne@gmail.com; larrystuber@bellsouth.net; memesprague@juno.com; cliftonjjr@aol.com; aldermanthomas@aol.com

Savannah pit bull attacks spark response

Posted: July 13, 2011 – 12:24am
By Eric Curl and Jan Skutch

[...] Cheryl LaBon, founder and CEO of Women of Wisdom, said her group wants to gather 1,000 signatures by Friday on a “Justice for Javon Petition” to require pit bull owners to keep their dogs in 8-by-12 foot pens in yards in neighborhoods where children 15 and younger live.

Those petitions will be presented to Savannah officials on Monday, she said. City officials previously have said they are reviewing local dog ordinances.[...]

Full article retrieved 7/13/11 from http://savannahnow.com/news/2011-07-13/savannah-pit-bull-attacks-spark-response

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Posted in Georgia, Whispers of BSL

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Dartmouth, MA: Board turns away from BSL discussions

Posted on July 12, 2011 by | Comments Off

The Dartmouth, MA, Select Board has been thinking about dog control options; a breed-specific law was one option suggested by members, but the Select Board no longer intends to pursue BSL due to an excellent and informative presentation by the town’s health director and animal control officer.

The select board intends to instead consider breed-neutral alternatives such as a leash law. Residents and locals may wish to participate in the select board’s discussion and adoption of dog ordinances to ensure that the outcome is reasonable, effective, and breed-neutral.

Contact info and meeting agendas for the Select Board and town administrators can be found here: http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/Pages/DartmouthMA_BComm/SelectBoard/index

Dartmouth veers from pit bull crackdown

By Brian Boyd, bboyd@s-t.com
July 12, 2011 12:00 AM

DARTMOUTH — The town’s health director and animal control officer told the Select Board that a bylaw targeting pit bulls could be impractical.

The board did not take any action at its Monday meeting. Instead, it will wait for the officials to recommend alternative ways for dealing with dangerous dogs, such as adopting a leash law. [...]

Full article retrieved 7/12/11 from http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110712/NEWS/107120320/-1/NEWS05

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Posted in Massachusetts, Whispers of BSL

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Greenville, MS: Council passes stricter BSL

Posted on July 10, 2011 by | Comments Off

Greenville, MS, has had breed-specific rules for “pit bull” owners since 2004—though the BSL hasn’t solved their problems with irresponsible owners and vicious dogs. Last week, council considered and approved revisions to the pit bull and vicious dog ordinances that make the breed-specific rules even more strict.

You may read the dog ordinance revisions here (July 5 council agenda): http://www.greenville.ms.us/Agenda_and_Minutes/7-05-11_agenda_revised.pdf

New laws for pit bulls

Posted: July 10, 2011 03:04 AM

GREENVLLE, Miss. (AP) – Greenville pit bull owners will need to start keeping their pets on a shorter leash.

The Delta Democrat Times reports that the city council has approved some changes to previous ordinances to toughen rules on how a pit bull is confined, the distance one can be walked around certain areas, registration of pit bulls, fines and impoundment fees. [...]

Full article retrieved 7/10/11 from http://www.ddtonline.com/news/article_4e020b82-a7ed-11e0-95d6-001cc4c002e0.html

 

 

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Posted in BSL Passed, Mississippi, Results of BSL

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