Shon
05-29-2004, 08:30 PM
BROOKSVILLE -- Bracken County residents are unleashing varying opinions on the Bracken County Fiscal Court's proposed county-wide ban on vicious dogs, starting with pit bulls.
Some pit bull owners, who want to keep their pets, are attempting to petition fiscal court.
Other residents strongly support the ban, claiming pit bulls are an unnecessary danger to the county.
Bracken County Animal Control Officer James Moore proposed the ban to the court, claiming the breed has already proved its viciousness through several attacks in the county.
'There have been 3 or 4 really serious incidents that have involved pit bulls,' Moore said.
Moore told fiscal court earlier this month pit bulls were responsible for attacks on a 3-year-old girl and a woman, who was attacked twice in a seven-minute span.
'The majority of biting incidents in the county have happened from pit bulls,' said Moore.
Moore estimates he has seen around 20 biting incidents from various breeds of dogs and cats including a German Shepherd and a beagle since the beginning of his tenure. Moore estimates over half of the attacks were made by pit bulls.
Maysville veterinarians are familiar with the pets of Bracken County residents, many of whom bring their animals to neighboring counties for medical care because there is no veterinary clinic in Bracken County.
'Pit bulls are a breed that we see quite a lot of in the clinic,' said J.T. Williams, veterinarian with Colonial Heights Veterinary Clinic in Maysville. 'In my professional opinion they aren't a bad dog. They can certainly be trained to be vicious, but that all depends on how the owner handles them.'
Bracken County pit bull breeder Tim Poe strongly opposes the ban.
'I believe it's our constitutional right to own whatever kind of dog we want to keep on our property,' said Poe. 'I've got twenty years invested in my dogs, and I want to keep them.'
If the dogs are banned, Poe believes the court will have violated his 14th Amendment rights prohibiting any government from 'depriv(ing) any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of the law.'
'I'm not too happy about this, and all the other pit bull owners are not too happy about this either,' said Poe.
Moore estimates there are over 100 pit bull owners in the county.
'We're all going to fight this,' said Poe. 'Right now we're trying to stop it. We've still got some time before the court votes on this.'
Pit bull owners Debbie Bess and Alice Edwards are placing petitions against the ban in gas stations throughout the county.
'I don't think it's fair,' said Edwards. 'I keep a pit bull in the house and she is like a child to me. She is gentle, not vicious. She does well to bite her own fleas.'
Even though petitioners are estimating to have more than two hundred signatures against the ban, the petition may be to no effect.
Larry Crigler with Kentucky Association of Counties said the pit bull owner's petition has no legal influence on the county's ordinance.
'The only way they can influence this is if they sway the vote on the ordinance,' said Crigler.
Augusta resident Randall Smith strongly supports the pit bull ban.
'I strongly feel they should be banned,' said Smith. 'They are too powerful and aggressive to keep in communities where they can hurt someone.'
Smith said dog fights were common where he grew up in Whitely County.
'I've heard people say you could drop a pit bull in the ring and they'll drop a dog that weighs 100 pounds more than they do,' said Smith. 'If we just save one child from getting attacked and scared up it will be worth it. Being attacked by a dog is a cruel thing for child, taken that they live, they will have the scars forever.'
Moore said he is unaware of dog fighting in Bracken County and believes pit bulls are not being bred to fight, but the county needs the protection of a ban.
'I think we need to start somewhere,' said Moore. 'We're getting more urbanized, we need to set a more civilized appearance. I'm just afraid for the kids who have to live beside these dogs.'
Although it is popularly believed pit bull terriers and Staffordish dog breeds are more aggressive and prone to attack than any other breed of dog, a recent study by the Endangered Breeds Association reports differently.
According to the EBA study, German Shepherds are reported to bite more commonly than any other breed of dog nationwide. Coming in second are Labrador retrievers. Pit bulls place fourth on the list.
'I wish they would see these dogs for what they are and not what they are made out to be,' said Poe.
Some pit bull owners, who want to keep their pets, are attempting to petition fiscal court.
Other residents strongly support the ban, claiming pit bulls are an unnecessary danger to the county.
Bracken County Animal Control Officer James Moore proposed the ban to the court, claiming the breed has already proved its viciousness through several attacks in the county.
'There have been 3 or 4 really serious incidents that have involved pit bulls,' Moore said.
Moore told fiscal court earlier this month pit bulls were responsible for attacks on a 3-year-old girl and a woman, who was attacked twice in a seven-minute span.
'The majority of biting incidents in the county have happened from pit bulls,' said Moore.
Moore estimates he has seen around 20 biting incidents from various breeds of dogs and cats including a German Shepherd and a beagle since the beginning of his tenure. Moore estimates over half of the attacks were made by pit bulls.
Maysville veterinarians are familiar with the pets of Bracken County residents, many of whom bring their animals to neighboring counties for medical care because there is no veterinary clinic in Bracken County.
'Pit bulls are a breed that we see quite a lot of in the clinic,' said J.T. Williams, veterinarian with Colonial Heights Veterinary Clinic in Maysville. 'In my professional opinion they aren't a bad dog. They can certainly be trained to be vicious, but that all depends on how the owner handles them.'
Bracken County pit bull breeder Tim Poe strongly opposes the ban.
'I believe it's our constitutional right to own whatever kind of dog we want to keep on our property,' said Poe. 'I've got twenty years invested in my dogs, and I want to keep them.'
If the dogs are banned, Poe believes the court will have violated his 14th Amendment rights prohibiting any government from 'depriv(ing) any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of the law.'
'I'm not too happy about this, and all the other pit bull owners are not too happy about this either,' said Poe.
Moore estimates there are over 100 pit bull owners in the county.
'We're all going to fight this,' said Poe. 'Right now we're trying to stop it. We've still got some time before the court votes on this.'
Pit bull owners Debbie Bess and Alice Edwards are placing petitions against the ban in gas stations throughout the county.
'I don't think it's fair,' said Edwards. 'I keep a pit bull in the house and she is like a child to me. She is gentle, not vicious. She does well to bite her own fleas.'
Even though petitioners are estimating to have more than two hundred signatures against the ban, the petition may be to no effect.
Larry Crigler with Kentucky Association of Counties said the pit bull owner's petition has no legal influence on the county's ordinance.
'The only way they can influence this is if they sway the vote on the ordinance,' said Crigler.
Augusta resident Randall Smith strongly supports the pit bull ban.
'I strongly feel they should be banned,' said Smith. 'They are too powerful and aggressive to keep in communities where they can hurt someone.'
Smith said dog fights were common where he grew up in Whitely County.
'I've heard people say you could drop a pit bull in the ring and they'll drop a dog that weighs 100 pounds more than they do,' said Smith. 'If we just save one child from getting attacked and scared up it will be worth it. Being attacked by a dog is a cruel thing for child, taken that they live, they will have the scars forever.'
Moore said he is unaware of dog fighting in Bracken County and believes pit bulls are not being bred to fight, but the county needs the protection of a ban.
'I think we need to start somewhere,' said Moore. 'We're getting more urbanized, we need to set a more civilized appearance. I'm just afraid for the kids who have to live beside these dogs.'
Although it is popularly believed pit bull terriers and Staffordish dog breeds are more aggressive and prone to attack than any other breed of dog, a recent study by the Endangered Breeds Association reports differently.
According to the EBA study, German Shepherds are reported to bite more commonly than any other breed of dog nationwide. Coming in second are Labrador retrievers. Pit bulls place fourth on the list.
'I wish they would see these dogs for what they are and not what they are made out to be,' said Poe.