Marty
11-05-2005, 01:36 AM
Longmont, CO -- Since Denver reinforced and Aurora adopted a ban on pit bulls, the Longmont and Boulder Valley humane societies have reported noticeable increases in registrations of the dogs and in the number of pit bulls being dropped off.
In May, Denver announced it would resume enforcing its pit bull ordinance, which bans the dogs in city limits. And late last month, the Aurora City Council approved a ban on 10 breeds of dogs, including pit bulls.
Other Front Range cities — including Castle Rock, Commerce City, Northglenn, Fort Lupton and Wellington — have restrictions on the breed, ranging from mandatory spaying or neutering, proof of at least $100,000 in liability insurance and confinement of the dogs in secure enclosures.
However, even with two of the metro area’s large cities prohibiting pit bulls within their borders, the operators of animal welfare facilities in pit bull-friendly cities can’t say for sure whether owners are turning to places like Longmont and Boulder as safe havens for the breed.
So far in 2005, Longmont has 205 pit bulls registered in the city, up from 160 for all of last year.
De Fowler, the Longmont Humane Society’s director of operations, said the increased numbers may be due to reasons other than pit bull owners bringing their dogs here.
For example, she said, heightened media attention and awareness about pit bulls because of the bans in Denver and Aurora may have made owners more conscientious in licensing their pit bulls.
“Rather than an increase in population numbers, it could be an increase in responsibility,” she said.
Lisa Pedersen, director of development for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, said she has seen dramatic increases in the number of pit bulls relinquished to the agency and in the number of animals transferred there from other shelters.
Last year, the Boulder Valley Humane Society took in 257 pit bulls. This year, 410 have passed through the facility.
“Any time we see a population increase, those animals have to go somewhere,” Pedersen said. “It does create additional challenges for the shelters that have to take those animals in.”
Longmont animal-control officer Diane Milford said she has noted an increase in the number of pit bulls on her patrols and also in the number of calls she responds to involving the breed since Denver reinforced its ban.
The increased number of dogs may be due to exiled pit bulls coming to the city from Denver and Aurora, she said, but the increase in calls may be due to heightened public awareness of pit bulls.
“It’s a cycle,” Milford said. “The more pit bull incidents that come to the forefront, the more calls we get. Pit bulls are the dog of choice right now.”
According to Fowler, Pedersen and Milford, despite the headlines, pit bulls are no better or worse than any other breed: Each has good animals and bad animals.
They each said it’s more important to focus on safety issues rather than breed.
“The Humane Society is an advocate for strong, enforceable dangerous-dog laws but no breed-specific bans,” Fowler said.
For Milford, the issue is whether a dog is vicious, regardless of what kind of dog it is.
“It’s unfortunate that people look at the breed rather than the safety issues,” she said.
The increased numbers don’t bother Pedersen in the least.
“We’re not seeing an increase of aggressive pit bulls coming into the community,” she said, and until there is an increase in incidents directly related to aggressive pit bulls, she said she won’t worry.
Laurel Ann Henderson can be reached at 303-684-5336, or by e-mail at tcnewsintern3@times-call.com.
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=4472
In May, Denver announced it would resume enforcing its pit bull ordinance, which bans the dogs in city limits. And late last month, the Aurora City Council approved a ban on 10 breeds of dogs, including pit bulls.
Other Front Range cities — including Castle Rock, Commerce City, Northglenn, Fort Lupton and Wellington — have restrictions on the breed, ranging from mandatory spaying or neutering, proof of at least $100,000 in liability insurance and confinement of the dogs in secure enclosures.
However, even with two of the metro area’s large cities prohibiting pit bulls within their borders, the operators of animal welfare facilities in pit bull-friendly cities can’t say for sure whether owners are turning to places like Longmont and Boulder as safe havens for the breed.
So far in 2005, Longmont has 205 pit bulls registered in the city, up from 160 for all of last year.
De Fowler, the Longmont Humane Society’s director of operations, said the increased numbers may be due to reasons other than pit bull owners bringing their dogs here.
For example, she said, heightened media attention and awareness about pit bulls because of the bans in Denver and Aurora may have made owners more conscientious in licensing their pit bulls.
“Rather than an increase in population numbers, it could be an increase in responsibility,” she said.
Lisa Pedersen, director of development for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, said she has seen dramatic increases in the number of pit bulls relinquished to the agency and in the number of animals transferred there from other shelters.
Last year, the Boulder Valley Humane Society took in 257 pit bulls. This year, 410 have passed through the facility.
“Any time we see a population increase, those animals have to go somewhere,” Pedersen said. “It does create additional challenges for the shelters that have to take those animals in.”
Longmont animal-control officer Diane Milford said she has noted an increase in the number of pit bulls on her patrols and also in the number of calls she responds to involving the breed since Denver reinforced its ban.
The increased number of dogs may be due to exiled pit bulls coming to the city from Denver and Aurora, she said, but the increase in calls may be due to heightened public awareness of pit bulls.
“It’s a cycle,” Milford said. “The more pit bull incidents that come to the forefront, the more calls we get. Pit bulls are the dog of choice right now.”
According to Fowler, Pedersen and Milford, despite the headlines, pit bulls are no better or worse than any other breed: Each has good animals and bad animals.
They each said it’s more important to focus on safety issues rather than breed.
“The Humane Society is an advocate for strong, enforceable dangerous-dog laws but no breed-specific bans,” Fowler said.
For Milford, the issue is whether a dog is vicious, regardless of what kind of dog it is.
“It’s unfortunate that people look at the breed rather than the safety issues,” she said.
The increased numbers don’t bother Pedersen in the least.
“We’re not seeing an increase of aggressive pit bulls coming into the community,” she said, and until there is an increase in incidents directly related to aggressive pit bulls, she said she won’t worry.
Laurel Ann Henderson can be reached at 303-684-5336, or by e-mail at tcnewsintern3@times-call.com.
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=4472