Legislator backing off pit bull bill

GA, USA -- A DeKalb County legislator is backing off a proposal to ban new pit bulls and to require that dogs already in the state be neutered, leashed and muzzled.

State Rep. Earnest "Coach" Williams (D-Avondale Estates) opened a public hearing on his legislation Monday morning by announcing that he plans to rewrite the bill to eliminate references to any specific breeds.

The focus, he said, will now be on "vicious dogs" of any breed.

Williams' bill as currently drawn would have outlawed the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Stafford Bull Terrier or other dogs with "majority physical traits" of any of those breeds.

The bill, which went nowhere in the last legislative session, drew angry responses from pit bull lovers who said bad or mean owners are to blame for vicious attacks that make the headlines.

"The problem is not with the sincere breeders of these dogs, but with the macho man who comes to you and says, 'I want to get me a mean dog,' " Keith G. Bates, president of the Griffin Kennel Club, testified Monday morning.

"There are people who fight chickens and nobody's suggesting we discontinue breeding chickens," Bates said.

Williams told about 50 people who attended the hearing that his new bill will not be breed-specific. But he said, "These attacks are happening in our community, and we want to keep our citizens safe.

"It's certainly about the owner — some have [dogs] for other reasons than just a pet," he said.

 

This puts a big smile on my face

 

I'm glad that they weren't so close-minded and are willing to "punish the deed and not the breed"

 

This has been making me smile all day everytime I think about it!

 

What area is this bill going to be passed in?

 

Thank goodness for small miracles, lets see how the final outcome goes!

 

we Might Have won the battle But the war is far from Over!

 

This Is True But Lets Not Rest Lets Keep On Going Stop It Everywhere

 

I AGREE! I JUST DON'T WANT THEM TRYINNG TO SLIP THINGS IN ON US.
HE HAS MY NAME AND MY PHONE NUMBER HIS SECRETARY IS SUPPOSE TO CALL ME A MONTH AHEAD OF TIME FOR THE NEXT MEETING. THIS WAY WE WILL HAVE TIME TO GATHER MORE THAN 40 OR 50 PEOPLE MAYBE NEXT TIME THERE WILL BE A HUNDRED. MY THING IS NOW IT IS PUBLICIZED SO NOW WE HAVE TO WORRY ABUT PEOPLE OUT THERE COMING FORTH AND BEING FOR THE BAN.

 

hey alicai420, if it were to pass it would be a statewide ban.
but it seems they are trying it state after state. and we need to watch
our local officals too, like the counties they can ban them that way too.

 

i think that guy should move to DC and take those same views and slap some people in the face here

 

That BAtes fella is an ass! Ams are ok but bully owners are the people wanting to feel "macho" that crap and he needs to take his credits and shut up.