[ SHOWGSD-L ] One for the good guys
- From: Stormy435@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 15:18:29 EDT
Thank you to ALL who wrote letters and contacted the City of Battle Creek!!
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/NEWS0
1/508170302/1002
Article published Aug 17, 2005
Pit bull rules dropped
Chris Springsteen
The Enquirer
Pit bulls will not be singled out in Battle Creek.
An ordinance unanimously introduced by the Battle Creek City Commission on
Tuesday to regulate the treatment of animals in the city originally included
a section that referred to pit bulls as nuisance animals that had to be
muzzled in public.
The ordinance referred to pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire
terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers.
After hearing concerns from about 12 area residents, commissioners voted 8-1
to remove the breed-specific language from the ordinance, which was
requested by the animal control division of the Battle Creek Police
Department.
Commissioner Steve Franklin voted against the amendment because he said he
wanted the entire ordinance to be scrapped.
"Having this be breed-specific makes about as much sense as me being
intimidated by Commissioner (Sam) Bullock here because he's a different
race," said Jason Pierce, who is white, referring to Bullock, who is black.
"That's all it is, is a different breed. I don't know why we're here talking
about this when we should be talking about animal cruelty and animal
fighting laws."
Ann Lyon said the ordinance would not stop the people who are responsible
for having vicious dogs.
"If this passes, the people who will need muzzles on their dogs still will
not have them," she said. "It's the responsible dog owners who will be doing
this to their dogs."
Additionally, it's not fair to say that all pit bulls are vicious, said
Christopher Campbell.
"The problem is, it's not the dog, it's the owner," he said. "The majority
of dog attacks do not happen when the dog is on a leash. Also, you hear
about dogs snapping. There's no such thing as a dog snapping. It becomes
vicious because it is trained to be and has learned how to be through
mistreatment."
City Attorney Clyde Robinson said he has recommended against including
breed-specific language in previous ordinances, but said it was added upon
the request of animal control.
The recent pit bull attack on a 12-year-old Battle Creek boy was not the
reason for the ordinance being introduced, Robinson said.
According to information included in Tuesday's agenda packet, pit bulls
account for 80 percent of the city's vicious dog complaints, and 44 of the
105 dogs animal control picked up in June were pit bulls.
"There appears to be a rational basis for including breed-specific language
in this," Robinson said.
Commissioner Ryan Hersha said labeling pit bulls as nuisances and forcing
them to be muzzled would not stop the problem.
"I don't see how this would affect those statistics," Hersha said.
"This merely penalizes people who are responsible, caring dog owners."
Chris Springsteen covers Battle Creek City Hall and Emmett Township. He can
be reached at 966-0676 or at csprings@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Read his blog in
the News Extras area at battlecreekenquirer.com.
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