Marty
07-15-2005, 07:53 PM
Davenport, IA --
A special committee that helped toughen Davenport's ordinance on vicious animals two years ago should reconvene to consider banning the dog breeds commonly known as pit bulls, Davenport aldermen voted Thursday.
The vote by the city's Public Safety Committee responded to a renewed call by Alderman Raymond Ambrose, 4th Ward, to prohibit the ownership or harboring of pit bulls.
"People are frightened of pit bulls," he said, presenting the committee with a Denver ordinance from 1989 banning three specific pit bull breeds. "As long as we have these dogs ... I'm going to do what I can to get rid of them."
However, committee chairman, Aldermen Barney Barnhill, 7th Ward, said enforcement of a pit bull ban would be "extremely difficult" because the dogs are hard to identify.
"I think it's canine profiling, and I think that person would see you in court, and would probably win," he said of the possibility of police officers on the beat trying to determine the breed of a dog.
The City Council approved ordinance changes in 2003 after some especially gruesome dog attacks and months of talk on how to prevent them, heaping stiffer fees and penalties on those who own dangerous or vicious animals.
Alderman Jamie Howard, at large, said the same special committee on vicious animals looked at the the dog ordinances at that time and found a lot of the problem had to do with the pet owner.
Robyn Dobernecker, animal control officer for the Humane Society of Scott County, said bite attacks are down and more dogs are licensed thanks to the 2003 ordinances allowing better enforcement against owners.
Pit bulls are currently the "breed of choice" for residents involved in illegal activities, such as drug trade or dogfighting, she said.
"(Banning pit bulls) is just going to force them to another breed," she said. "And we'll probably be back here in another few years."
But Ambrose told Dobernecker that he would like the committee to put any breed similar to a pit bull on a list "and ban them all."
"You've got your hands full just to do day-to-day jobs," he told Dobernecker.
Families with small children are particularly terrorized by pit bulls, including city parks clearing out when someone comes to the park with the breeds, he said.
Several residents who own pit bulls defended the breed during the meeting, giving the committee vignettes of their pit bull's gentle nature. At the end of the discussion, the public safety committee voted to have the special committee review the Denver ordinance and other dog laws.
Barnhill said the date for the meeting would be announced early next week.
Todd Ruger can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or truger@qctimes.com.
A special committee that helped toughen Davenport's ordinance on vicious animals two years ago should reconvene to consider banning the dog breeds commonly known as pit bulls, Davenport aldermen voted Thursday.
The vote by the city's Public Safety Committee responded to a renewed call by Alderman Raymond Ambrose, 4th Ward, to prohibit the ownership or harboring of pit bulls.
"People are frightened of pit bulls," he said, presenting the committee with a Denver ordinance from 1989 banning three specific pit bull breeds. "As long as we have these dogs ... I'm going to do what I can to get rid of them."
However, committee chairman, Aldermen Barney Barnhill, 7th Ward, said enforcement of a pit bull ban would be "extremely difficult" because the dogs are hard to identify.
"I think it's canine profiling, and I think that person would see you in court, and would probably win," he said of the possibility of police officers on the beat trying to determine the breed of a dog.
The City Council approved ordinance changes in 2003 after some especially gruesome dog attacks and months of talk on how to prevent them, heaping stiffer fees and penalties on those who own dangerous or vicious animals.
Alderman Jamie Howard, at large, said the same special committee on vicious animals looked at the the dog ordinances at that time and found a lot of the problem had to do with the pet owner.
Robyn Dobernecker, animal control officer for the Humane Society of Scott County, said bite attacks are down and more dogs are licensed thanks to the 2003 ordinances allowing better enforcement against owners.
Pit bulls are currently the "breed of choice" for residents involved in illegal activities, such as drug trade or dogfighting, she said.
"(Banning pit bulls) is just going to force them to another breed," she said. "And we'll probably be back here in another few years."
But Ambrose told Dobernecker that he would like the committee to put any breed similar to a pit bull on a list "and ban them all."
"You've got your hands full just to do day-to-day jobs," he told Dobernecker.
Families with small children are particularly terrorized by pit bulls, including city parks clearing out when someone comes to the park with the breeds, he said.
Several residents who own pit bulls defended the breed during the meeting, giving the committee vignettes of their pit bull's gentle nature. At the end of the discussion, the public safety committee voted to have the special committee review the Denver ordinance and other dog laws.
Barnhill said the date for the meeting would be announced early next week.
Todd Ruger can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or truger@qctimes.com.