Shon
09-29-2004, 03:40 PM
Pit bulls and certain breeds of dogs are now more expensive to keep in Coulee Dam and may be on the way to being banned altogether.
The town council last week passed changes to the town's pet ordinance that names "pit bulls" as dangerous dogs and imposes strict conditions on their owners.
The issue arose last month when Holly Street residents said a neighbor was planning to raise pit bulls, a breed famous for its ability - some say vicious propensity - to fight other dogs.
"I had to have my fence made solid because they were trying to get at me through the fence when I mowed my lawn," Connie Babler said.
Pit bulls are defined in the ordinance as dogs older than six months with Staffordshire bull terrier, American bull terrier, American bulldog or American Staffordshire terrier breeding.
Owners may now keep only one such dog, must keep it indoors or in a secure, locked pen with a roof and buy a $250,000 surety bond in case it hurts someone.
Those restrictions were even more stringent than the changes proposed by Police Chief Pat Collins, who has been working with tribal police on a policy that both departments would find enforceable.
But proponents found support on the council for an even harsher proposal - an outright ban.
"Why don't we just ban them completely?" asked Councilmember Steve Chapman. "Let's do it right if we're going to do it."
Council discussion explored that option, with members agreeing they had more work to do on the issue, but that immediate action was necessary. They might revisit the issue later.
Coulee Dam contracts with the Colville Confederated Tribes for its animal control, but residents at the meeting were calling for Collins to get his officers cross deputized in tribal court so they could respond to animal complaints that deal with Indian owners on the Colville Indian Reservation.
They said the CCT has only one animal control officer for the entire 1.4 million-acre reservation and response time can be too slow. One woman in the audience said tribal authorities had told her they had put down seven pit bulls on the reservation in the last week.
Collins has said his officers currently have neither the training nor the equipment to handle such complaints, but he conceded handling them locally would be faster.
The ordinance passed last week also limits each household to owning no more than a total of four dogs and cats, no more than two of each. And it prohibits allowing private property to "become overgrown with animal fecal matter."
The town council last week passed changes to the town's pet ordinance that names "pit bulls" as dangerous dogs and imposes strict conditions on their owners.
The issue arose last month when Holly Street residents said a neighbor was planning to raise pit bulls, a breed famous for its ability - some say vicious propensity - to fight other dogs.
"I had to have my fence made solid because they were trying to get at me through the fence when I mowed my lawn," Connie Babler said.
Pit bulls are defined in the ordinance as dogs older than six months with Staffordshire bull terrier, American bull terrier, American bulldog or American Staffordshire terrier breeding.
Owners may now keep only one such dog, must keep it indoors or in a secure, locked pen with a roof and buy a $250,000 surety bond in case it hurts someone.
Those restrictions were even more stringent than the changes proposed by Police Chief Pat Collins, who has been working with tribal police on a policy that both departments would find enforceable.
But proponents found support on the council for an even harsher proposal - an outright ban.
"Why don't we just ban them completely?" asked Councilmember Steve Chapman. "Let's do it right if we're going to do it."
Council discussion explored that option, with members agreeing they had more work to do on the issue, but that immediate action was necessary. They might revisit the issue later.
Coulee Dam contracts with the Colville Confederated Tribes for its animal control, but residents at the meeting were calling for Collins to get his officers cross deputized in tribal court so they could respond to animal complaints that deal with Indian owners on the Colville Indian Reservation.
They said the CCT has only one animal control officer for the entire 1.4 million-acre reservation and response time can be too slow. One woman in the audience said tribal authorities had told her they had put down seven pit bulls on the reservation in the last week.
Collins has said his officers currently have neither the training nor the equipment to handle such complaints, but he conceded handling them locally would be faster.
The ordinance passed last week also limits each household to owning no more than a total of four dogs and cats, no more than two of each. And it prohibits allowing private property to "become overgrown with animal fecal matter."