Shon
10-08-2004, 11:39 AM
The Council Bluffs City Council, especially three of its members, will probably receive many phone calls and e-mails in the next few days about dogs.
As time draws closer for an official council vote on the proposed pit bull ban, that's what leading opponents of the ban urged their supporters to do at a meeting Monday night.
The council may re-introduce an ordinance to ban the pit bull breeds American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers at its meeting next Monday night. The ordinance was defeated at the Aug. 12 council meeting on a 2-2 tie vote.
"I would encourage all of you to please come to the meeting," said Kelley McAtee, a leading opponent of the proposed ban. "These animals don't have a voice, and we have a voice."
Another opponent, Deb Chapman, said, "You need to realize that this will happen if we don't speak."
Monday's meeting at the Council Bluffs Senior Center, which was attended by about 50 people, was held to make people aware of the upcoming action, an organizer said.
"A lot of folks don't realize it's coming up for a vote again," said Charlotte Skokan.
The two council members who voted against the ban, Matt Walsh and Scott Belt, were there, but the two who supported it, Dave Tobias and Lynne Branigan, were not.
Neither was Councilman Chad Primmer, who was absent from the Aug. 12 meeting, and who may reintroduce the ordinance. Primmer has said he sup-ports the ban.
The speakers Monday night urged the audience and their friends to contact Primmer, Tobias and Branigan in an effort to change their minds.
The proposed ban just doesn't work, they said.
"It's the owners who need to be responsible," Chapman said.
During the meeting, it was mentioned that cities that have passed this kind of breed-specific legislation have had to spend $200,000 and more a year to enforce it.
Speaking to the audience by telephone, American Canine Foundation spokesman Glen Bui suggested that cities adopt strong penalties for those caught training dogs to fight. These penalties might include mandatory prison sentences and the inability to own a dog again.
Bui also said that other cities that considered banning pit bulls suddenly saw the number of pit bull bites increase.
"And, half of them aren't from pit bulls," he said.
If the city passed the ban, Bui said he would hope that negotiations between the two sides could reach some settlement. He did not rule out that there could be a lawsuit filed against the city for a half a million dollars or more.
"The city won't win," Bui said.
As time draws closer for an official council vote on the proposed pit bull ban, that's what leading opponents of the ban urged their supporters to do at a meeting Monday night.
The council may re-introduce an ordinance to ban the pit bull breeds American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers at its meeting next Monday night. The ordinance was defeated at the Aug. 12 council meeting on a 2-2 tie vote.
"I would encourage all of you to please come to the meeting," said Kelley McAtee, a leading opponent of the proposed ban. "These animals don't have a voice, and we have a voice."
Another opponent, Deb Chapman, said, "You need to realize that this will happen if we don't speak."
Monday's meeting at the Council Bluffs Senior Center, which was attended by about 50 people, was held to make people aware of the upcoming action, an organizer said.
"A lot of folks don't realize it's coming up for a vote again," said Charlotte Skokan.
The two council members who voted against the ban, Matt Walsh and Scott Belt, were there, but the two who supported it, Dave Tobias and Lynne Branigan, were not.
Neither was Councilman Chad Primmer, who was absent from the Aug. 12 meeting, and who may reintroduce the ordinance. Primmer has said he sup-ports the ban.
The speakers Monday night urged the audience and their friends to contact Primmer, Tobias and Branigan in an effort to change their minds.
The proposed ban just doesn't work, they said.
"It's the owners who need to be responsible," Chapman said.
During the meeting, it was mentioned that cities that have passed this kind of breed-specific legislation have had to spend $200,000 and more a year to enforce it.
Speaking to the audience by telephone, American Canine Foundation spokesman Glen Bui suggested that cities adopt strong penalties for those caught training dogs to fight. These penalties might include mandatory prison sentences and the inability to own a dog again.
Bui also said that other cities that considered banning pit bulls suddenly saw the number of pit bull bites increase.
"And, half of them aren't from pit bulls," he said.
If the city passed the ban, Bui said he would hope that negotiations between the two sides could reach some settlement. He did not rule out that there could be a lawsuit filed against the city for a half a million dollars or more.
"The city won't win," Bui said.