Monthly Archives: September 2011

Egelston Township, MI reminder: Proposed BSL to be discussed, Sept 19

Posted on September 18, 2011 by | Comments Off

A new proposed ordinance in Egelston Township would place restrictions on ownership of “pit bulls.” The Board of Trustees is expected to discuss the ordinance on September 19 at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held in the meeting room at the Egelston Township Complex, 5428 E. Apple Ave. Muskegon, MI 49442
Phone: 231-788-2308
Fax: 231-788-5248

Contact information for Town Trustees
Supervisor Mike Thompson, mthompson@egelstontwp.org
231-788-2308 Ext. 11
Clerk Joan Raap, jraap@egelstontwp.org
231-788-2308 Ext. 16
Treasurer Deb Ackerman, dackerman@egelstontwp.org
231-788-2308 Ext. 15
Walt Bowen, wbowen@egelstontwp.org
Maria Harjer, mharjer@egelstontwp.org
John Holter, jholter@egelstontwp.org
Bethann Rahn, brahn@egelstontwp.org

Email block for cut and paste
mthompson@egelstontwp.org; jraap@egelstontwp.org; dackerman@egelstontwp.org; wbowen@egelstontwp.org; mharjer@egelstontwp.org; jholter@egelstontwp.org; brahn@egelstontwp.org

View the Sept 19 agenda: http://www.egelstontwp.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=oUGPLcvNSi0%3d&tabid=75&mid=537

All alerts for Egelston Township: http://stopbsl.com/?s=egelston

Pit bulls, crocodiles and panthers targeted in Egelston Township’s proposed dangerous animal ordinance

Published: Friday, September 02, 2011, 11:04 AM
By Lynn Moore | The Muskegon Chronicle

Pit bulls would have to be kept indoors or in a covered kennel and walked with a muzzle under a new ordinance proposed in Egelston Township. [...]

Full article retrieved 9/3/11 from http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/09/pit_bulls_targeted_in_egelston.html

Comments Off

Posted in BSL Proposed, Michigan

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Schenectady, NY: Council discusses dog problems

Posted on September 14, 2011 by | 1 Comment

A couple of city councilmembers in Schenectady, New York, apparently think that BSL is the most reasonable option to resolve their dog problems. There’s only one problem—state law doesn’t allow them to enact BSL.

There are a number of breed-neutral options on the table for council to consider. Residents and locals may wish to participate in this discussion and offer additional breed-neutral options for the council’s consideration. From the public comments made by two of the councilmembers (in article below), it seems that some gentle education about stereotypes and discrimination are in order as well.

Next city council committee meeting: September 19, 5:30 PM, Room 110, City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York 12305.
Next city council full meeting: September 26, 7:00 PM, Room 209, City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York 12305.
To contact any of the City Council Members via e-mail: cthorne@schenectadyny.gov

Council mulls pit bull issue

Schenectady officials discuss attacks and consider what to do

By LAUREN STANFORTH Staff writer
Updated 07:08 a.m., Wednesday, September 7, 2011

SCHENECTADY — City Council members at their Tuesday night meeting discussed two recent pit bull attacks and came to one conclusion — they don’t know what tack to take to eliminate dangerous dogs roaming city streets. [...]

“People keep saying ‘poor little bit bull,’” said City Councilman Joe Allen. “I’ve never seen a nice pit bull in my life. They’re scary.” And their owners …”are even scarier,” City Councilwoman Denise Brucker said, completing Allen’s sentence. [...]

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Council-mulls-pit-bull-issue-2158290.php#ixzz1Xxf9Thar

→ 1 Comment

Posted in New York, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Waterville, ME: Police chief suggests breed ban

Posted on September 14, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Waterville Police Chief Joe Massey thinks the city should ban certain breeds of dogs. Maine state law prohibits municipalities from passing BSL, so this is not likely to go anywhere, but locals and residents may wish to reassert the need for breed-neutral laws.

Next city council meeting: September 20, 7:00 PM, City Council Chambers, 1 Common Street, Waterville, ME 04901

City officials contact information:
City Council, City of Waterville, 1 Common Street, Waterville Maine 04901
Fax: 207-680-4207
http://www.waterville-me.gov/departments/council/contacts/index.php
Police Chief Joseph Massey, jmassey@waterville-me.gov
Charles F. Stubbert, fred4444@msn.com
George Myers, Jr, george@georgemyersjr.com
Rosemary Winslow, rosemary.winslow@mail.house.gov
Erik Thomas, ethomas@waterville-me.gov
John O’Donnell, johnodonnell@mewireless.net
Eliza Mathias, emathias@waterville-me.gov
Karen Rancourt Thomas, krancourt@waterville-me.gov

Email block for cut-and-paste
fred4444@msn.com; george@georgemyersjr.com; rosemary.winslow@mail.house.gov; ethomas@waterville-me.gov; johnodonnell@mewireless.net; emathias@waterville-me.gov; krancourt@waterville-me.gov; jmassey@waterville-me.gov

Waterville Chief Sounds Alarm On Dangerous Dogs

by Rob Poindexter – September 12th 2011 09:29pm

Waterville – Waterville Police Chief Joe Massey [...] says statistics show most attacks happen in the victims own homes. “The top three biters according to their study are Pitbulls, German Shepards, and Rottweilers.” [StopBSL Ed: Unclear what statistics or study has been used here. No source cited.] [...]

Adding that he’d also like to see the city get tougher. “Matter of fact I would almost like to see, and I know this is very controversial, to see the city take a stand where they try to prohibit specific breeds.” [...]

Full article retrieved 9/14/11 from http://www.wabi.tv/news/23450/waterville-chief-sounds-alarm-on-dangerous-dogs

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Maine, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Buchanan, MI: City commission to consider new dog laws

Posted on September 14, 2011 by | 2 Comments

After two dogs got out and bit people in Buchanan, Michigan, the city commission is reviewing their dog laws. Buchanan has a barking dog ordinance, but no other animal laws. (Presumably they are using state law to deal with animal issues.) During the next city commission meeting, commissioners will hear from the state director of animal control regarding the applicability of state laws in the case of dangerous dogs, and this discussion may suggest additional local ordinances that Buchanan can pass.

Because the bite incident involved two “pit bull” type dogs, because the news media has focused on the dogs’ breed rather than any other aspect, and because Michigan does not have a state law that prohibits BSL, StopBSL feels that there is a possibility that Buchanan commissioners may consider breed-specific measures.

StopBSL would like to suggest that locals and residents in and around Buchanan make an effort to participate in community and commission discussions regarding potential animal ordinances, and to guide those discussions toward effective breed-neutral options.

Next city commission meeting: September 26, 7:00 PM, Buchanan City Hall, 302 N. Redbud Trail.

Contact info for city commissioners:
**Please don’t flood these folks with emails opposing breed bans. A breed ban has not been mentioned, and sudden widescale opposition from all corners will only confuse them. Instead, politely encourage commissioners to consider breed-neutral ordinances and to avoid breed-specific ones. Please encourage them to do the right thing; please don’t criticize them for something they haven’t done.**
Carla Cole, Mayor, sienna@qtm.net
Michael A Terrell, terrelm@gmail.com
David Hagey
Patricia Moore, PMDPM@aol.com
Earl “Joe” Scanlon III, Mayor Pro Tem, midasjoe94@yahoo.com
City Manager & Police Chief Bill Marx, wmarx@buchananpolice.net

Please note, in the article below, it sounds like the city is experiencing a rash of unrelated pit bull attacks. In fact, the article reveals that these attacks were committed by the same two loose dogs on the same day.

Buchanan pit bull attacks prompt potential crackdown

STAN MADDUX
South Bend Tribune Correspondent
11:22 a.m. EDT, September 13, 2011

BUCHANAN— In response to recent pit bill attacks on three people Buchanan officials could be looking to crackdown on dangerous animals. [...]

[City manager and police chief Bill Marx] asked [state animal control director Val] Grimes to attend the next regularly scheduled commissioners meeting to go over the existing state statute governing dangerous animals and answer any questions.

Marx said the information could be used by the commissioners to decide whether a local dangerous animal ordinance should be drafted to fill any gaps in the state laws as that presently exist. [...]

Full article retrieved 9/14/11 from http://www.southbendtribune.com/sbt-buchanan-pit-bull-attacks-prompt-potential-crackdown-20110913,0,975644.story

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Michigan, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Oktibbeha County, MS: Public hearing on vicious dog ordinance, Sept 13

Posted on September 11, 2011 by | Comments Off

Update 9/20/11: Great news! The proposed ordinance under consideration is NOT breed-specific. Thanks to Anita for keeping StopBSL updated!

Thanks to Anita for this information!

The County Board will hold a public hearing to discuss a proposed dog ordinance on September 13 at 10:00 AM in the old Courthouse, 2nd Floor. The county currently does not have a leash law or dangerous/vicious dog ordinance.

The official proposal has not been publicized yet, and it is unclear at this time whether the proposal will be breed-specific or breed-neutral. Some residents and the news media have expressed concerns about specific breeds. StopBSL suggests that county locals and residents attend the public hearing to determine whether the proposal is breed-specific and to guide public discussion away from breed-specific measures if BSL is brought up.

Previous alerts for Oktibbeha County: http://stopbsl.com/?s=oktibbeha

StopBSL would like to request assistance from locals and residents in the county to help keep an eye on the situation in Oktibbeha. The board’s agendas and minutes are not posted online, and news coverage hasn’t been the most reliable source. We would appreciate information about whether the proposal is breed-specific, whether the public asks for BSL during the public hearing, and whether the county board seems receptive to BSL.

Comments Off

Posted in Mississippi, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

City of Sonoma, CA: Council decides against BSL

Posted on September 8, 2011 by | Comments Off

**Not to be confused with Sonoma County, CA**

All alerts for city of Sonoma: http://stopbsl.com/?s=sonoma

Sonoma council member Joanne Sanders previously asked city staff to research the possibility of breed-specific regulations or a ban on “pit bulls.”

Sonoma Passes On New Vicious Dog Laws

Council favors extra money for spay/neuter clinics, community forum

By Alexis Fitts

Pit Bull advocates crowded the Sonoma City Council meeting Wednesday for an emotionally charged vote where the council declined to amend current vicious dog legislation—opting for a greater emphasis on informal outreach events and low cost spay/neuter programs instead. [...]

“If we don’t do something these bad dog owners are going to ruin it for the good dog owners,” [Councilmember Joanne] Sanders said. “If the one good thing that comes out of [these talks] is more money for spay and neutering, [even] if it’s not breed specific, I can live with that.”

Full article retrieved 9/8/11 from http://sonoma.patch.com/articles/sonoma-passes-on-new-vicious-dog-laws

Comments Off

Posted in BSL Defeated, California

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Mount Currie, B.C., Canada: Pit bull ban suggested

Posted on September 8, 2011 by | Comments Off

Thanks to Jodi for this alert!

Mount Currie Chief Lucinda Phillips has called for a ban on pit bulls on the Reserve in the wake of a recent dog attack and because dog owners are not taking proper care of their dogs.

Mount Currie is a small community in British Columbia with a population of about 1,400. It is the center of the Mount Currie Indian Reserve. The Mount Currie Reserve is among the most populous, and poorest, of all Indian Reserves in Canada. Their government is the Mount Currie Indian Band of the Lillooet Tribal Council.

Because this is a small, tight-knit community with little funding for animal control, this is an excellent opportunity to encourage public education with respect to responsible dog ownership practices. Fortunately, Chief Phillips recognizes that problem dogs are the result of problem dog owners. Please encourage the officials to address the problems associated with irresponsible dog owners, and politely remind them that simply removing dogs based on appearance does not address the root cause of the problems in the Mount Currie community.

Please send your POLITE, RESPECTFUL and INFORMATIVE letters in opposition to breed specific legislation to the tribal council, and encourage them to seek a breed-neutral solution that highlights public education and responsible dog ownership.

Lil´wat Nation, P.O. Box 602, Mount Currie, British Columbia V0N 2K0
Email: info@lilwat.ca
Phone: 604.894.6115
Fax: 604.894.6841

Chief Lucinda Phillips, lucinda.phillips@lilwat.ca
Senior Administrator Sheldon Tetreault, SheldonTetreault@lilwat.ca
The entire council can be contacted at: council@lilwat.ca
or you may address the leadership individually by accessing their e-mail info here: http://www.lilwat.ca/leadership/chief-council.cfm

Chief and Council meet every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Ullus Community Complex. Council meetings are open to Lil’wat Nation members and the minutes of all meetings are available to Lil’wat Nation members from the Council Executive Secretary.

Chief seeking Mount Currie pit bull ban

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
ERIC MACKENZIE, ERIC@WHISTLERQUESTION.COM

Mount Currie Chief Lucinda Phillips is calling for amendments to the band’s animal bylaw that would see pit bulls banned from the reserve, while the Lil’wat leader has also said she believes dogs should no longer be permitted in band-owned rental housing. [...]

Phillips told The Question that she is a believer in the ‘blame the owner, not the breed’ mantra that is touted by pit-bull advocates. However, she also said the attack earlier this summer was an example of how some Mount Currie residents are failing to raise the dogs properly.

“I have absolutely nothing against pit bulls at all,” she said. “Banning them from my community is a decision I’m basing because my community members are not taking care of their dogs. It’s definitely the owners’ fault, not the dogs’.” [...]

Full article retrieved 9/8/11 from http://www.whistlerquestion.com/article/20110908/WHISTLER12/309089971/-1/WHISTLER/chief-seeking-mount-currie-pit-bull-ban

Comments Off

Posted in BSL Proposed, Canada

Tagged , , , , , ,

Oktibbeha County, MS: Council asks for public comment on vicious dog ordinance, Sept 6

Posted on September 5, 2011 by | Comments Off

Oktibbeha County, MS, intends to schedule public hearings to gather local input about a possible dangerous/vicious dog ordinance. Though they do not have an official proposal ready for discussion, the county board also expects to take public comment and suggestions during the September 6 board meeting.

The county currently does not have a leash law or dangerous/vicious dog ordinance. It is not clear at this time exactly what kind of law residents will request. However, StopBSL feels that there is a possibility that the residents at the Sept 6 board meeting will request BSL or a breed ban.

Fortunately, the county board does not seem inclined toward breed-specific measures—but nevertheless, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors could probably use some public encouragement to maintain a breed-neutral course. To contact the Board of Supervisors, call the County Administrator’s office at 662-323-1520 (a few supervisors have email; for details visit http://www.oktibbehacountyms.org/government/index.htm).

VERY important: keep correspondence respectful and informational; the county board has not expressed interest in breed-specific laws and several board members have made statements against breed-based discrimination. Please commend them and encourage them to continue thinking this way.

Oktibbeha to schedule public hearing for vicious animal ordinance

DAVID MILLER
SEPTEMBER 3, 2011 10:20:00 PM

STARKVILLE — In anticipation of public pressure to adopt a vicious animal ordinance, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors plans to schedule public hearings about the issue at Tuesday’s meeting.

Following a pit bull attack on two children on Self Creek Road on Aug. 13, the board has studied ordinances in Pontotoc and Lowndes counties. [...]

County Administrator Don Posey said there isn’t a special hearing to discuss a possible ordinance for Tuesday’s meeting, though citizens can express concerns during the usual public comments portion of the meeting.[...]

Read more: http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=12825#ixzz1X6fpZFhT

StopBSL would like to request assistance from locals and residents in the county to help keep an eye on the situation in Oktibbeha. The board’s agendas and minutes are not posted online, and news coverage hasn’t been the most reliable source. Ideally, a resident or local could make a special effort to stay in contact with the Chancery Clerk or the County Board of Supervisors in order to stay on top of developments.

Comments Off

Posted in Mississippi, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Gardner, KS: Council to discuss animal ordinance revisions, Sept 6

Posted on September 4, 2011 by | Comments Off

Councilmember Larry Fotovich has requested that Gardner reinstate a breed ban. The city repealed their “pit bull” ban in 2007 after officials raised a number of concerns about the ineffectiveness of the ban, including difficulties with enforcement, unexpected expenses, problems with breed identification, intentional breed misidentification by the public, and more.

City staff has requested that council provide specific direction as to what animal ordinance revisions they desire. The council has been asked to provide this direction during the September 7 council meeting, at 7:00 PM, in City Hall, 120 East Main Street, Gardner, KS. In other words, the council will probably vote whether or not to instruct city staff to rewrite the ordinance to include a breed ban.

At this time, it does not appear that the other councilmembers are supportive of a ban. Please remain polite and courteous in your correspondence to educate and encourage the councilmembers to stay away from a breed ban.

David Drovetta, Mayor, ddrovetta@gardnerkansas.gov
Kristy Harrison, kharrison@gardnerkansas.gov
Brian Broxterman, bbroxterman@gardnerkansas.gov
Larry Fotovich, lfotovich@gardnerkansas.gov
Chris Morrow, cmorrow@gardnerkansas.gov
Dennis Pugh, dpugh@gardnerkansas.gov

Email block for cut-and-paste
ddrovetta@gardnerkansas.gov; kharrison@gardnerkansas.gov; bbroxterman@gardnerkansas.gov; lfotovich@gardnerkansas.gov; cmorrow@gardnerkansas.gov; dpugh@gardnerkansas.gov

Agenda for Sept 6: http://www.gardnerkansas.gov/council_agenda_090611

Background/Description of Item:

The Council has discussed possible changes to City Ordinance No. 2175 that pertains to animal control and protection and defines vicious animals and how they are to be handled. It does not define specific breeds of dogs that are banned. This ordinance was passed in 2005.

Looking to understand the direction of the City Council, staff is requesting Council to review Ordinance No. 2175 and provide specific direction so that corrections to the ordinance, if any, can be made and brought back for consideration at the October 3rd meeting.

Staff Recommendation:

Direct staff on changes to Ordinance 2175 – Animal Control and Protection.

Comments Off

Posted in Kansas, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , ,

City of Sonoma, CA: Council to discuss vicious animal regulations, Sept 7

Posted on September 4, 2011 by | 2 Comments

**Not to be confused with Sonoma County, CA**

Council will discuss possible changes to the vicious animal ordinance during the September 7 council meeting that begins at 6 PM. Sonoma council member Joanne Sanders previously asked city staff to research the possibility of breed-specific regulations or a ban on “pit bulls.” California state law prohibits municipalities from passing breed-specific laws, with the exception of breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter. Upon finding this out, Sanders backed away from earlier statements in favor of a breed ban. We do not know what options will be discussed during the council meeting, but locals and residents are encouraged to attend and encourage the council to choose revisions that do not discriminate against owners of any one breed or general type of dog.

Contact information for Sonoma City Council
City Council, City of Sonoma, No. 1 The Plaza, Sonoma CA 95476
City Clerk: (707) 933-2216
Steve Barbose, sbarbose@vom.com
Ken Brown, ken@bearflagsocialclub.com
Laurie Gallian, lauriegallian@comcast.net
Joanne Sanders, cityhall@sonomacity.org
Tom Rouse, SonomaRouse@gmail.com

Email block for cut and paste
sbarbose@vom.com; ken@bearflagsocialclub.com; lauriegallian@comcast.net; cityhall@sonomacity.org; SonomaRouse@gmail.com

The regular meetings of the Sonoma City Council are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:00 PM.

Council agendas: http://www.sonomacity.org/default.aspx?PageId=50

→ 2 Comments

Posted in California, Whispers of BSL

Tagged , , , , , , , ,