Marty
11-08-2005, 02:41 PM
Denver, CO -- Federal Heights not considering ban
The metrowide debate over how to collar pit bulls reaches Federal Heights City Hall tonight, where the City Council will discuss stiff new regulations for the breed.
The proposal is similar to those in place in Aurora and Commerce City but stops short of Denver's all-out ban.
"For every one who wants pit bulls banned in Federal Heights, another one wants them to stay," Police Chief Les Acker said. "It's a political hot potato, and the council will deal with it accordingly."
Councilwoman Carol Wright has been working with code enforcement officer Alex Frisch to craft an ordinance.
Tonight's discussion will take place against a background of controversy elevated by last week's pit bull mauling of a 10-year-old Aurora boy.
Gregg Jones was still recovering Monday after surviving a brutal attack by three pit bulls in his backyard on Wednesday. One of the dogs, which had moved into the home one week before the attack, was shot and then euthanized.
Aurora animal care officers were trying to determine whether the two other dogs - a male and female both under age 2 that were not licensed or sterilized - had been relocated to the home because of a breed ban in another county, such as Denver.
Denver resumed its ban on pit bulls in May after winning a court battle that overturned an attempt by the legislature to outlaw breed-specific legislation. Since then, any American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or any dog showing dominant physical traits of those breeds has been forced out of the city or euthanized.
The ban has created a ripple effect. As owners of the breed have searched for new homes, suburban governments have grappled with how to deal with a potential influx of pit bulls.
Commerce City passed a law in September banning new pit bulls from entering the city. Among other provisions, it also forces pit bull owners to pay $60 registration fees, spay or neuter their dogs, construct locked pens, post warning signs by their front doors and keep their dogs muzzled and on 6-foot leashes in public.
Noncompliant pit bulls face death, and their owners are liable for associated costs. City spokeswoman Heather Rule said 32 pit bulls have been registered in Commerce City since the law took effect Nov. 1.
In Aurora, the City Council in October banned pit bulls unless licensed between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31, 2006. Regulations there mirrored Commerce City's, except the licensing fee was set at a steeper $200, pit bulls must be kept on 4-foot leashes, and violators were subject to at least a $700 fine and up to a year in jail.
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4220462,00.html
The metrowide debate over how to collar pit bulls reaches Federal Heights City Hall tonight, where the City Council will discuss stiff new regulations for the breed.
The proposal is similar to those in place in Aurora and Commerce City but stops short of Denver's all-out ban.
"For every one who wants pit bulls banned in Federal Heights, another one wants them to stay," Police Chief Les Acker said. "It's a political hot potato, and the council will deal with it accordingly."
Councilwoman Carol Wright has been working with code enforcement officer Alex Frisch to craft an ordinance.
Tonight's discussion will take place against a background of controversy elevated by last week's pit bull mauling of a 10-year-old Aurora boy.
Gregg Jones was still recovering Monday after surviving a brutal attack by three pit bulls in his backyard on Wednesday. One of the dogs, which had moved into the home one week before the attack, was shot and then euthanized.
Aurora animal care officers were trying to determine whether the two other dogs - a male and female both under age 2 that were not licensed or sterilized - had been relocated to the home because of a breed ban in another county, such as Denver.
Denver resumed its ban on pit bulls in May after winning a court battle that overturned an attempt by the legislature to outlaw breed-specific legislation. Since then, any American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or any dog showing dominant physical traits of those breeds has been forced out of the city or euthanized.
The ban has created a ripple effect. As owners of the breed have searched for new homes, suburban governments have grappled with how to deal with a potential influx of pit bulls.
Commerce City passed a law in September banning new pit bulls from entering the city. Among other provisions, it also forces pit bull owners to pay $60 registration fees, spay or neuter their dogs, construct locked pens, post warning signs by their front doors and keep their dogs muzzled and on 6-foot leashes in public.
Noncompliant pit bulls face death, and their owners are liable for associated costs. City spokeswoman Heather Rule said 32 pit bulls have been registered in Commerce City since the law took effect Nov. 1.
In Aurora, the City Council in October banned pit bulls unless licensed between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31, 2006. Regulations there mirrored Commerce City's, except the licensing fee was set at a steeper $200, pit bulls must be kept on 4-foot leashes, and violators were subject to at least a $700 fine and up to a year in jail.
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4220462,00.html