Tiara
08-10-2005, 10:08 AM
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Photos By Ellen Jaskol © News
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Jessie Lopez, of Aurora, who opposes a ban on pit bulls, holds his daughter, Leilani, 17 months, as pit-bull advocates present their case Tuesday to the Aurora City Council's subcommittee on code enforcement. Next to Lopez is his mother-in-law, Peg Jansen, of Aurora, who takes care of the Lopezes' female pit bull, Zula, at her home.
Panel hears pleas for pit bulls
Most speakers don't want ban in Aurora
By Javier Erik Olvera, Rocky Mountain News
August 10, 2005
AURORA - One by one, they made their way to the podium with an emotional plea for city leaders:
Don't ban pit bulls.
Fifty-one people made their case Tuesday to the City Council's subcommittee on code enforcement, which is weighing three proposals, including a total ban and allowing the dogs if several requirements are met.
Overwhelmingly, the speakers, among more than 350 people who spilled out of the council's chambers, argued that the problem isn't the breed, but owners who have mistreated the dogs so they can become vicious.
Three people spoke in favor of a total ban, but were unable to convince Councilwoman Molly Markert that such a move would be the right step.
Markert, who has indicated in the past few weeks that she favors a ban, said that after hearing from the "responsible" pit-bull owners she and the two other subcommittee members may explore other options.
"It's not the breed, it's the behavior," Markert said after the public hearing. "So the question becomes how do we get irresponsible breed owners out of the city and make it safe to walk down the street."
The subcommittee will decide at an upcoming meeting what they will recommend to the full council.
The crowd, several holding handmade signs that read, "Don't blame the breed, blame bad owners," waited patiently as the speakers made their way to the podium to tell personal stories about their pets.
Shirlina Stone moved from California to Denver on June 5 with her daughter, Aa'lina Ford, and her fiance, A.G. Dixon, so she could attend the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology to get a veterinarian technician license.
Stone said she didn't know that her dogs - 1-year-old and 8-month-old pit bulls - weren't allowed in Denver until after she signed the lease for an apartment.
Stone left her dogs with her father in California until she was able to break the lease on June 15 and move to a townhouse in Aurora, where she said authorities told her no such ban or restriction was in the works.
"I think this is ridiculous," said Stone, 20, of the possible ban on the breed that she has been around much of her of her life.
"They're good dogs, and I'm willing to do anything to keep mine with me."
Others, such as Sandra Torres, say city officials need to do more research on the breed instead of accepting the widespread belief that the problem lies within their bloodline.
"They want us to kill our dogs," said Torres, 50, who owns two pit bulls and works for an insurance company designed for teachers. "That's like asking us to kill our babies."
Torres has lived in her Aurora home for several years, but said if a ban went into effect, she'd have no qualms about putting it on the market and moving out of the city so she could be with her pets.
Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, who backed legislation last year barring cities from creating breed-specific laws, asked the subcommittee to consider toughening the city's vicious animal ordinance instead.
Stafford's bill was signed into law in May 2004, preventing Denver from enforcing its pit-bull ban. Denver sued the state, and after a yearlong legal battle won the right to resume enforcing its ban on May 9.
Only a handful of ban supporters showed up for the public hearing.
Damon Foshee was one of them.
He stood in the foyer, holding a photo album that chronicled his cocker spaniel's encounter with a pit bull in one hand and a plastic container with part of his dog's jaw in the other.
The 47-year-old was walking his dog in their southeast Aurora neighborhood on May 31 when he noticed a pit bull slowly moving toward them from a nearby house.
Within seconds, the pit bull had Fosh-ee's 8-year-old cocker spaniel, Sandy, in its mouth.
Fosh-ee hit and kicked the pit bull several times, but it didn't let go of his dog's neck.
So Foshee picked up the pit bull - which still had his dog in its mouth - and began to shake it until the three fell to the ground.
Sandy survived after extensive surgery, but there was too much damage to her jaw to allow reconstruction, said Foshee.
"(The pit bull) was so intent on killing Sandy," Foshee said.
"It was the most horrible experience of my life."
Considering a ban
Aurora does not have breed-specific animal ordinances but does ban vicious animals.
• Current ordinance: Pet owners convicted of having a vicious animal face $150 fines. The animal will be destroyed on second offense.
• Proposed pit-bull restrictions: An Aurora City Council subcommittee will consider three options Tuesday:
A total ban on pit bulls
Allowing pit bulls already in the city to remain as long as they're licensed and insured
Allowing pit bulls in the city with owners agreeing to a list of regulations
olveraj@RockyMountainNews.comor (olveraj@RockyMountainNews.comor) 303-892-5113 Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
Photos By Ellen Jaskol © News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/images/spacers/spacer.gif
Jessie Lopez, of Aurora, who opposes a ban on pit bulls, holds his daughter, Leilani, 17 months, as pit-bull advocates present their case Tuesday to the Aurora City Council's subcommittee on code enforcement. Next to Lopez is his mother-in-law, Peg Jansen, of Aurora, who takes care of the Lopezes' female pit bull, Zula, at her home.
Panel hears pleas for pit bulls
Most speakers don't want ban in Aurora
By Javier Erik Olvera, Rocky Mountain News
August 10, 2005
AURORA - One by one, they made their way to the podium with an emotional plea for city leaders:
Don't ban pit bulls.
Fifty-one people made their case Tuesday to the City Council's subcommittee on code enforcement, which is weighing three proposals, including a total ban and allowing the dogs if several requirements are met.
Overwhelmingly, the speakers, among more than 350 people who spilled out of the council's chambers, argued that the problem isn't the breed, but owners who have mistreated the dogs so they can become vicious.
Three people spoke in favor of a total ban, but were unable to convince Councilwoman Molly Markert that such a move would be the right step.
Markert, who has indicated in the past few weeks that she favors a ban, said that after hearing from the "responsible" pit-bull owners she and the two other subcommittee members may explore other options.
"It's not the breed, it's the behavior," Markert said after the public hearing. "So the question becomes how do we get irresponsible breed owners out of the city and make it safe to walk down the street."
The subcommittee will decide at an upcoming meeting what they will recommend to the full council.
The crowd, several holding handmade signs that read, "Don't blame the breed, blame bad owners," waited patiently as the speakers made their way to the podium to tell personal stories about their pets.
Shirlina Stone moved from California to Denver on June 5 with her daughter, Aa'lina Ford, and her fiance, A.G. Dixon, so she could attend the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology to get a veterinarian technician license.
Stone said she didn't know that her dogs - 1-year-old and 8-month-old pit bulls - weren't allowed in Denver until after she signed the lease for an apartment.
Stone left her dogs with her father in California until she was able to break the lease on June 15 and move to a townhouse in Aurora, where she said authorities told her no such ban or restriction was in the works.
"I think this is ridiculous," said Stone, 20, of the possible ban on the breed that she has been around much of her of her life.
"They're good dogs, and I'm willing to do anything to keep mine with me."
Others, such as Sandra Torres, say city officials need to do more research on the breed instead of accepting the widespread belief that the problem lies within their bloodline.
"They want us to kill our dogs," said Torres, 50, who owns two pit bulls and works for an insurance company designed for teachers. "That's like asking us to kill our babies."
Torres has lived in her Aurora home for several years, but said if a ban went into effect, she'd have no qualms about putting it on the market and moving out of the city so she could be with her pets.
Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, who backed legislation last year barring cities from creating breed-specific laws, asked the subcommittee to consider toughening the city's vicious animal ordinance instead.
Stafford's bill was signed into law in May 2004, preventing Denver from enforcing its pit-bull ban. Denver sued the state, and after a yearlong legal battle won the right to resume enforcing its ban on May 9.
Only a handful of ban supporters showed up for the public hearing.
Damon Foshee was one of them.
He stood in the foyer, holding a photo album that chronicled his cocker spaniel's encounter with a pit bull in one hand and a plastic container with part of his dog's jaw in the other.
The 47-year-old was walking his dog in their southeast Aurora neighborhood on May 31 when he noticed a pit bull slowly moving toward them from a nearby house.
Within seconds, the pit bull had Fosh-ee's 8-year-old cocker spaniel, Sandy, in its mouth.
Fosh-ee hit and kicked the pit bull several times, but it didn't let go of his dog's neck.
So Foshee picked up the pit bull - which still had his dog in its mouth - and began to shake it until the three fell to the ground.
Sandy survived after extensive surgery, but there was too much damage to her jaw to allow reconstruction, said Foshee.
"(The pit bull) was so intent on killing Sandy," Foshee said.
"It was the most horrible experience of my life."
Considering a ban
Aurora does not have breed-specific animal ordinances but does ban vicious animals.
• Current ordinance: Pet owners convicted of having a vicious animal face $150 fines. The animal will be destroyed on second offense.
• Proposed pit-bull restrictions: An Aurora City Council subcommittee will consider three options Tuesday:
A total ban on pit bulls
Allowing pit bulls already in the city to remain as long as they're licensed and insured
Allowing pit bulls in the city with owners agreeing to a list of regulations
olveraj@RockyMountainNews.comor (olveraj@RockyMountainNews.comor) 303-892-5113 Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.