Marty
05-19-2006, 04:39 PM
Lexington,KY -- Is the bark worse than the bite?
Or are specific dog breeds like pit bulls, rottweilers, and dobermans more likely to be vicious and need mandated control?
"It is not only the fact that we had some people who died from that, we had a lot of complaints that we have too many aggressive dogs," says Gilles Meloche who is the Director of Animal Services for the city of Louisville.
Last fall, a Louisville man and a child were fatally mauled by dogs in two separate attacks. It prompted city leaders to target pit bulls and other so-called dangerous and vicious dogs.
"You have to put some penalties, some consequences, not just impound the dog," says Meloche.
Louisville is not the only city taking a stand against dangerous dogs.
More than half the states in the country have cities where laws have already been passed or are being considered banning specific breeds or creating highly restrictive regulations.
Among them: Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
"I think vicious dog ordinances are appropriate, public safety is really important."
Long-time purebred dog fancier Donna Herzig worries just how far lawmakers are willing to go in the name of public safety.
"Breed specific dangerous dog laws have no purpose anywhere. We know there is no breed that is dangerous on its own," says Herzig.
After the two fatal attacks in Louisville, there was talk of banning pit bulls and rottweilers. But with input from a task force that has formed with members like Donna Herzig, the city is backing off an all-out breed-specific ban.
"It's a matter of enforcing current laws."
A ruling from the Ohio Court of Appeals two months ago is being hailed as a monumental victory for people opposed to breed specific legislation.
The ruling found that a Toledo city ordinance limiting ownership of one pit bull per household and a state law penalizing pit bull owners who do not have liability insurance are both unconstitutional.
Kristy Craig owns a 3-year-old American Staffordshire terrier which is lumped into the umbrella category of "Pit Bulls."
She worries about this nationwide trend that has made its way to Kentucky.
She just hopes it stops short of her hometown.
"If they enforced a law like that I could not carry liability insurance or put fences up or put a muzzle on her. I can't do that. It is not fair for her and its really not fair for me. It's very much discrimination," says Craig.
Breed-specific laws also run the risk of creating a false sense of security.
"You're saying the rest of the breeds are O.K. Any dog that has teeth can bite, any dog that is not raised properly can have problems," says Herzig.
Who can forget the French woman who was mauled so badly by a dog that she received the first ever face transplant.
But did you know that vicious attack was caused by a labrador retriever, one of the most popular family pets.
That's why Kentucky has joined 22 other states and passed the American Kennel Club's good canine citizenship resolution.
Connie Morris helped state representative Charlie Miller get the resolution passed three months ago.
The ten step program certifies dogs who have been trained to have good manners around people and other pets.
"The key to preventing dog bites is responsible dog ownership," says Morris.
Jessica Myers Rottweiler mix has earned his AKC good citizenship and is a certified therapy dog.
Despite Sullivan's good deeds he is stereotyped.
"I'll walk down the street with him and people will cross the road when they see him. They see his size and they don't know," says Myers.
It's all about educating people about responsible ownership while strengthening the definition of dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs and passing fair laws to protect everyone.
"That is the toughest part of the ordinance. You have to balance that and that is what we are trying to do. You have the right to have any dog you want but you have to know the consequences."
Louisville city leaders are struggling with that now as the rest of the state watches and waits.
"We have to be extremely careful in what we do not only because it will have far reaching affects, but we don't want unintended consequences.'
Roxy and Sullivan's owners are waiting too hoping their dogs don't suffer the consequences of misplaced fear.
"I think it would be a great loss for the community. Dogs like Sullivan, he goes into schools we talk to kids about dog safety, how to approach dogs, what happens if a dog approaches you. There are a lot of dogs out there like Sullivan," says Myers.
"It's causing good dogs to lose good homes," says Craig.
To learn more about breed-specific legislation, where it's being proposed, and what breeds are at risk, click here (http://www.understand-a-bull.com/).
You'll also see a Top Ten list of the least-friendly dog places in the country. One Kentucky county made that list.
http://www.wtvq.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WTVQ/MGArticle/TVQ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137836174184&path=
Or are specific dog breeds like pit bulls, rottweilers, and dobermans more likely to be vicious and need mandated control?
"It is not only the fact that we had some people who died from that, we had a lot of complaints that we have too many aggressive dogs," says Gilles Meloche who is the Director of Animal Services for the city of Louisville.
Last fall, a Louisville man and a child were fatally mauled by dogs in two separate attacks. It prompted city leaders to target pit bulls and other so-called dangerous and vicious dogs.
"You have to put some penalties, some consequences, not just impound the dog," says Meloche.
Louisville is not the only city taking a stand against dangerous dogs.
More than half the states in the country have cities where laws have already been passed or are being considered banning specific breeds or creating highly restrictive regulations.
Among them: Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
"I think vicious dog ordinances are appropriate, public safety is really important."
Long-time purebred dog fancier Donna Herzig worries just how far lawmakers are willing to go in the name of public safety.
"Breed specific dangerous dog laws have no purpose anywhere. We know there is no breed that is dangerous on its own," says Herzig.
After the two fatal attacks in Louisville, there was talk of banning pit bulls and rottweilers. But with input from a task force that has formed with members like Donna Herzig, the city is backing off an all-out breed-specific ban.
"It's a matter of enforcing current laws."
A ruling from the Ohio Court of Appeals two months ago is being hailed as a monumental victory for people opposed to breed specific legislation.
The ruling found that a Toledo city ordinance limiting ownership of one pit bull per household and a state law penalizing pit bull owners who do not have liability insurance are both unconstitutional.
Kristy Craig owns a 3-year-old American Staffordshire terrier which is lumped into the umbrella category of "Pit Bulls."
She worries about this nationwide trend that has made its way to Kentucky.
She just hopes it stops short of her hometown.
"If they enforced a law like that I could not carry liability insurance or put fences up or put a muzzle on her. I can't do that. It is not fair for her and its really not fair for me. It's very much discrimination," says Craig.
Breed-specific laws also run the risk of creating a false sense of security.
"You're saying the rest of the breeds are O.K. Any dog that has teeth can bite, any dog that is not raised properly can have problems," says Herzig.
Who can forget the French woman who was mauled so badly by a dog that she received the first ever face transplant.
But did you know that vicious attack was caused by a labrador retriever, one of the most popular family pets.
That's why Kentucky has joined 22 other states and passed the American Kennel Club's good canine citizenship resolution.
Connie Morris helped state representative Charlie Miller get the resolution passed three months ago.
The ten step program certifies dogs who have been trained to have good manners around people and other pets.
"The key to preventing dog bites is responsible dog ownership," says Morris.
Jessica Myers Rottweiler mix has earned his AKC good citizenship and is a certified therapy dog.
Despite Sullivan's good deeds he is stereotyped.
"I'll walk down the street with him and people will cross the road when they see him. They see his size and they don't know," says Myers.
It's all about educating people about responsible ownership while strengthening the definition of dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs and passing fair laws to protect everyone.
"That is the toughest part of the ordinance. You have to balance that and that is what we are trying to do. You have the right to have any dog you want but you have to know the consequences."
Louisville city leaders are struggling with that now as the rest of the state watches and waits.
"We have to be extremely careful in what we do not only because it will have far reaching affects, but we don't want unintended consequences.'
Roxy and Sullivan's owners are waiting too hoping their dogs don't suffer the consequences of misplaced fear.
"I think it would be a great loss for the community. Dogs like Sullivan, he goes into schools we talk to kids about dog safety, how to approach dogs, what happens if a dog approaches you. There are a lot of dogs out there like Sullivan," says Myers.
"It's causing good dogs to lose good homes," says Craig.
To learn more about breed-specific legislation, where it's being proposed, and what breeds are at risk, click here (http://www.understand-a-bull.com/).
You'll also see a Top Ten list of the least-friendly dog places in the country. One Kentucky county made that list.
http://www.wtvq.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WTVQ/MGArticle/TVQ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137836174184&path=