Marty
05-03-2006, 10:55 PM
Springfield,MO -- Two local veterinarians have organized a drive to repeal Springfield's new pit bull ordinance and send it to a public vote, and copies of a petition seeking to overturn the breed-specific legislation are popping up in lobbies of animal clinics all over town.Lance Blackburn at All Creatures Pet Hospital in north Springfield said he decided to begin the petition drive last month after the City Council approved dramatic restrictions on pit bull owners.
The council required all pit bull owners to register their dogs with the city for a $50 annual fee. Before they can be registered, the dogs must be spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and microchipped.
Blackburn and Denise Roche at Deerfield Veterinary Hospital in south Springfield agreed the ordinance was a mistake and researched ways for like-minded residents to voice their dissent.
Under the city charter, an ordinance can be repealed and put on a ballot if at least 10 percent of registered voters who voted in the last mayoral election sign and submit a formal petition to the city clerk within 30 days of council approval of the ordinance.
In other words, a petition with at least 1,400 signatures must be filed with the clerk by May 18 to repeal the pit bull ordinance and send the issue to voters.
Blackburn isn't sure how many people will sign the petition, but he wants people to know it's out there.
"We're basically acting as a conduit, and then we'll let the numbers talk," he said.
Blackburn mailed copies of the petition to every veterinary hospital in Springfield, and he said Tuesday that he'd spoken with at least 10 who have made it available to their clients.
"There wasn't a single veterinary office where they said we think this is a great idea to go after pit bulls," he said.
Both the Humane Society of the United States and the American Veterinary Medical Association oppose breed-specific legislation, said Blackburn, who served on a committee of animal-welfare advocates and veterinarians that studied Springfield's dangerous dog problem.
"We crafted an ordinance that we thought was a very good ordinance," he said.
Veterinarian Roger Sifferman at Bradford Park Veterinary Hospital was likewise dismayed by the council's decision to pass breed-specific legislation in light of the committee's recommendation to target vicious dogs.
"They asked for the input of the committee ... and they basically ignored the findings," Sifferman said.
Bradford Park is one of several pet clinics circulating the petition. Springfield Veterinary Center on South Campbell Avenue is also making its clients aware of the petition, which veterinarian Heath Wiseman said he'd sign if he lived in Springfield.
"Discriminating against an individual breed is narrow-minded, short-sighted," he said. "It doesn't go to solving any problems."
Pit bull owner Beau Graves agrees. He and his girlfriend — a veterinary technician at All Creatures — were among the first to sign the petition.
Graves adopted his 3-year-old pit bull, Jack, from a litter of dogs that could not be cared for by a backyard breeder.
The council should consider a more comprehensive ordinance that puts responsibility on the dog owner, not the breed, said Graves.
Sam Livingston, who owns a pit bull mix named Seth, said dog owners need to be held accountable for the way they treat — or mistreat — their pets.
"We're losing sight of the fact that we all have to take responsibility for the decisions we make in our lives," she said.
Both Livingston and Graves are hopeful the petition will have the necessary number of signatures by the May 18 deadline.
"The clock's ticking," Graves said.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/NEWS01/605030368
The council required all pit bull owners to register their dogs with the city for a $50 annual fee. Before they can be registered, the dogs must be spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and microchipped.
Blackburn and Denise Roche at Deerfield Veterinary Hospital in south Springfield agreed the ordinance was a mistake and researched ways for like-minded residents to voice their dissent.
Under the city charter, an ordinance can be repealed and put on a ballot if at least 10 percent of registered voters who voted in the last mayoral election sign and submit a formal petition to the city clerk within 30 days of council approval of the ordinance.
In other words, a petition with at least 1,400 signatures must be filed with the clerk by May 18 to repeal the pit bull ordinance and send the issue to voters.
Blackburn isn't sure how many people will sign the petition, but he wants people to know it's out there.
"We're basically acting as a conduit, and then we'll let the numbers talk," he said.
Blackburn mailed copies of the petition to every veterinary hospital in Springfield, and he said Tuesday that he'd spoken with at least 10 who have made it available to their clients.
"There wasn't a single veterinary office where they said we think this is a great idea to go after pit bulls," he said.
Both the Humane Society of the United States and the American Veterinary Medical Association oppose breed-specific legislation, said Blackburn, who served on a committee of animal-welfare advocates and veterinarians that studied Springfield's dangerous dog problem.
"We crafted an ordinance that we thought was a very good ordinance," he said.
Veterinarian Roger Sifferman at Bradford Park Veterinary Hospital was likewise dismayed by the council's decision to pass breed-specific legislation in light of the committee's recommendation to target vicious dogs.
"They asked for the input of the committee ... and they basically ignored the findings," Sifferman said.
Bradford Park is one of several pet clinics circulating the petition. Springfield Veterinary Center on South Campbell Avenue is also making its clients aware of the petition, which veterinarian Heath Wiseman said he'd sign if he lived in Springfield.
"Discriminating against an individual breed is narrow-minded, short-sighted," he said. "It doesn't go to solving any problems."
Pit bull owner Beau Graves agrees. He and his girlfriend — a veterinary technician at All Creatures — were among the first to sign the petition.
Graves adopted his 3-year-old pit bull, Jack, from a litter of dogs that could not be cared for by a backyard breeder.
The council should consider a more comprehensive ordinance that puts responsibility on the dog owner, not the breed, said Graves.
Sam Livingston, who owns a pit bull mix named Seth, said dog owners need to be held accountable for the way they treat — or mistreat — their pets.
"We're losing sight of the fact that we all have to take responsibility for the decisions we make in our lives," she said.
Both Livingston and Graves are hopeful the petition will have the necessary number of signatures by the May 18 deadline.
"The clock's ticking," Graves said.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/NEWS01/605030368