Madison, North Carolina **Urgent Alert** Rotties And Pit Bulls

Town considers ban on some dogs
7-9-05
By Cynthia Jeffries Staff Writer
News & Record
Madison North Carolina
http://www.news-record.com/news/local/rock/dogattack_070905.htm
MADISON — If the “Little Rascals’” dog was still around, it could be an outlaw animal in Madison in the near future.

That’s because police Chief Perry Webster wants to ban anyone in town from owning a pit bull or Rottweiler.

He will ask the five-person Board of Aldermen to back his request during its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

If they agree, Madison will become the first town in North Carolina to ban specific breeds of dogs.

Often, he said, pit bulls and Rottweilers are raised to be vicious, attack dogs. He said they also are often kept by drug dealers.

“The people who have these types of dogs have them to fight or for protection,” the chief said.

“What if the dog gets loose? We have officers who are put in danger when they have to go out and deal with these dogs. I think the town of Madison will be a lot better off without these types of dogs,” he said.

Aimee Wall, who specializes in dog legislation for the Institute of Government at Chapel Hill, said she fields phone calls at least twice a month from some city, town or county leader who wants to ban pit bulls.

But none of those places have followed through yet with enacting an ordinance, she said. For one thing, breed specific bans — especially on pit bulls — can be hard to enforce.

That’s because a pit bull can be hard to define.

The Pit Bull Rescue and Adoption Web site indicates that a pit bull is not actually a breed of dog, nor is it one of the 153 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Often, the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier are referred generally as pit bulls. Places like Denver and Dade County, Fla., have banned those animals or animals mixed with those breeds.

But not all pit bulls are viewed as dangerous. The playful dog on the 1950s children’s television show, “The Little Rascals,” was an American pit bull terrier.

Stephanie Lane, director of legislation in the American Kennel Club’s Raleigh office, said animals “should be judged by their deed, and not by their breed.”

A ban “would not have prevented this from happening to that child or make the community any safer,” she said. “Any breed in that situation would have reacted negatively as well,” she said, referring to Redbone’s attempt to protect her puppies.

Chief Webster said it may be harder for his department to enforce the ordinance because budget restraints forced him to get rid of his animal control officer as of July 1. Still, he said, something has to be done.


Contact Cynthia Jeffries at 627-4881, Ext. 126 or cjeffries@news-record.com

Perry L. Webster – Chief of Police

336.548.6097

Board Of Alderman (QUICK LIST)

rfscott@ctc.net, madisonart@earthlink.net ,altinord@aol.com, agwaltney@triad.rr.com ,jtate@triad.rr.com , hawkinsk@aol.com

ALDERMAN ADRESSES

http://www.townofmadison.org/town_government.htm

Kenneth Y. Hawkins – Mayor
209 Oak Street
hawkinsk@aol.com

Janice R. Tate – Mayor Pro Tem
900 Parkway Avenue
jtate@triad.rr.com

Carolyn C. Collins – Treasurer
225 N. Dalton Street

Arthur R. Gwaltney
416 Oak Street
agwaltney@triad.rr.com

Daniel G. Hill
106 W. Decatur Street
altinord@aol.com

Bobby H. Pleasants – Asst. Treasurer
212 W. Decatur Street
madisonart@earthlink.net

Micky S. Silvers
702 W. Academy Street

Robert F. Scott – Interim Town Manager
336.427.0221
rfscott@ctc.net

Michael J. Cassidy – Town Attorney
101 A Franklin Street
336.427.2559

 

That’s because a pit bull can be hard to define.

The Pit Bull Rescue and Adoption Web site indicates that a pit bull is not actually a breed of dog, nor is it one of the 153 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club

Their right, "pitbull" is not a known breed

its American Pitbull Terrier

 

Damn we have to stop this before it happens because i dont want my city being banned.

 

Will It Ever End??????????????????????????????????????????

 

There Must Be Something We Can Do! I Live In Rocky Mount Nc That Is The Last Thing I Wanted To Hear. We Have Been Able To Duck All This Banning And So Forth For A Good While Now. Looks Like It's Heading Home!

 

Sure it will! I have no doubt in my mind it will.

The nay sayers will pick on a new breed pretty soon. It is almost due time. In the 50's, the vicious dogs that needed to be erradicated were the German Sheppards. In the 70's, they chose the Dobermans for that title. As long as the next breed (in the trend) does not look like a APBT, we will be out of the headlines.

Let's hope people wisen up and stop blaming dogs for human mistakes.

 

First NC and then it will be in SC. This is so ridiculous. Its just a witch hunt and Pits are up on the chopping block. In another 5 years it will be another breed. I wish these people would educate themselves on the breed before they declare an all out war on them.
That will never happen though because people would rather be ignorant instead of learning the truth.