another debate over pit bulls

Saunders County hears another debate over pit bulls
By Jonnie Taté Finn / Lincoln Journal Star

David Hibler wants to build a shelter near Valparaiso for rescued dogs from hurricane-stricken areas.

But Hibler’s vision is facing fierce scrutiny from neighboring landowners not comfortable with the breed the 24-kennel shelter would cater to: pit bulls.

“He’s exploiting the hurricane thing,” said neighbor David Krafka. “I have no problem against a person owning ‘a’ pit bull. But the type of dogs he wants to bring to our neighborhood everyone knows are dangerous.”

An effort last year to ban pit bulls in Saunders County was defeated, and Hibler spoke out against that proposed ban. Now he wants to shelter up to 24 dogs on his property, located in the Oak Creek Precinct near Valparaiso.

Hibler, a former professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, submitted a conditional-use permit application on behalf of the American Pit Bull Rescue Association to the Saunders County Planning Commission in September to build a $35,000 dog kennel.

The commission considered the permit at its meeting Monday and moved to deny the request. County supervisors are scheduled to hear the request Tuesday .

“We recommended denying (the request) because of concerns for the neighbors’ health and safety,” said George Borreson, planning and zoning administrator for Saunders County.

If the pit bull rescue kennel isn’t acceptable to county officials, Hibler said the second option is to build a boarding kennel for all breeds.

In any case, the facility — whether a rescue or boarding kennel — is proposed to have first-rate conditions, including a bed, TV, dog food bar and heating and air conditioning. The structure would be enclosed and covered, and the building would be contained within a second perimeter fence.

“The point is to keep the animals in a setting as close to a normal family setting as possible,” Hibler said. “Each (room will be) segregated and sound-proofed from the others and attached to independent fenced and covered outside runs.”

Hibler, who founded the American Pit Bull Rescue Association in Omaha two years ago, foresees the proposed shelter functioning as a rescue kennel for pit bulls from the Gulf region. The dogs, once rehabilitated, could go to foster homes or be up for adoption, he said.

With three pit bulls of his own, Hibler said he knows the dogs aren’t the monsters the breed is made out to be. Bad owners, abuse and neglect are what make dogs vicious, not what breed they are, said Hibler, who has worked to rescue and rehabilitate abused dogs for about five years.

“They’re tremendous dogs,” said Hibler, who said he was also against pit bulls before rescuing one five years ago. “You’ll not find a more loving breed. They’re the best human response breed you’ll ever find.”

But neighbor Frank Albrecht isn’t convinced.

“My first and foremost concern is for my three small children,” he said. “I’m afraid the dogs will run loose. And these rescued dogs will be animals with backgrounds of abuse and neglect. You won’t know what the dogs were subjected to and that’s dangerous. It’s a huge public safety issue.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year. The CDC does not track bites by breed.