Pit Bull Ban May Be Tabled

[size=+1]Pit Bull Ban May Be Tabled[/size]

By Kristin Netterstrom
The Morning News

BENTONVILLE -- The Bentonville City Council may table an ordinance banning pit bulls for more review after hearing from a number of organizations and dog lovers.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]At A Glance[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bentonville's proposed ordinance would ban breeds of American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, American bulldog, any dog whose parent is a pit bull and any dog looking like a pit bull.
Pit bull is a general term for those terrier breeds and American bulldog. Bentonville's proposed ordinance would also require pit bulls living in the city to be spayed or neutered, registered with the Police Department and confined in a secure area.
Source: Staff Report[/font]

Tabling the ordinance would allow everyone the opportunity to thoroughly evaluate options, the city's staff attorney, Camille Thompson, wrote in a memo to the council Wednesday.

The memo said Thompson, the mayor and the city's animal control officers are reviewing all resources, including legislation provided by the American Kennel Club.

Thompson submitted the proposed ordinance earlier this month, citing an increase of incidents with pit bulls. Twelve of 16 dogs on Bentonville's dangerous dog list are of a pit bull breed.

Council members listened to impassioned pleas last week, and the proposed ban was supposed to be brought up for a second reading Tuesday. Many speakers at the council meeting said they didn't mind registering or spaying or neutering dogs, but they didn't favor an outright ban. Such a move would hurt responsible owners and their pets, they said.

The council can follow Thompson's recommendation to table the ordinance or continue reading it at the next meeting. The council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Bentonville's proposed ordinance would ban breeds of American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, American bulldog, any dog whose parent is a pit bull and any dog that looks like a pit bull.

Pit bull is a general term for those terrier breeds and American bulldog. The proposed ordinance would also require pit bulls living in the city to be spayed or neutered, registered with the Police Department and confined in a secure area.

Since the word spread about the proposed ordinance, the mayor's office received three letters about the proposed ban, including one from The Humane Society of The United States.

Breed-specific legislation is hard to enforce on pit bulls, wrote Adam Goldfarb, an issues specialist with The Humane Society of the United States. He included samples of dangerous-dog legislation that isn't breed specific but focuses on addressing animal abuse, aggression training and irresponsible pet care.

"Those areas across the country that have pit bull bans or regulations have found that defining and identifying pit bulls can be a subjective, expensive, and time-consuming task," he wrote. "Numerous breeds are mistakenly identified as pit bulls, including American bulldogs, boxers, mastiffs and many other lesser-known breeds."

According to the organization, more than 4.5 million dog bites occur each year. There are no central reporting agencies for dog bites, so breed information isn't available. Out of those bites, according to the organization, 10 to 20 are fatal each year.

Bentonville's proposed ordinance is based on McGehee's ban, which went into effect last year after a pit bull severely attacked a young child. North Little Rock is one of a few cities in Arkansas that ban pit bulls.

Other cities define vicious animals as those who attack unprovoked. Siloam Springs includes pit bulls in its definition, but no nearby city bans by breed.

"We do not discriminate against any breed," said Jill Hatfield, Fayetteville's Animal Services superintendent. "What we do here in the city and especially for the shelter animals, we do temperamental testing. Behavior plays a big role in what animals come up to the adoption floor. We believe every animal is an individual. They have different histories."

Fayetteville has had issues with all kinds of dogs, Hatfield said, including a Pomeranian that acted aggressively and knocked over an older man who was walking nearby.

Hatfield said she personally doesn't favor breed bans, and said she would look internally into an organization for problems before seeking a ban.

Animal problems also involve numbers. Fayetteville tends to have a large Labrador population, so not many pit bulls show up in the city, she said.

"It's really about education. It's really about getting out there and letting people know what's responsible pet ownership. Don't let the dog or cat run at large or act aggressive toward other people or dogs," Hatfield said. "Our number one priority is education."

 

It's A Fu***** Plague!