City staff attorney proposes table on pit bull ordinance

Bentonville, AR -- After hearing the concerns of residents and national animal welfare organizations, the Bentonville City Council may table an ordinance that would ban pit bull breeds throughout the city.

On Wednesday, city staff attorney Camille Thompson sent a memo to the Bentonville City Council requesting that the council table the ordinance at its meeting Tuesday night. "I have received materials from a number of individuals and organizations in recent days," the memo read, "and the Mayor (Terry Coberly), the animal control officers and I are in the process of reviewing all of these resources, including model legislation provided by the American Kennel Club."

According to the memo, tabling the ordinance will allow the city to evaluate what options are best for the city.

The AKC was one of the organizations that sent a letter to the city in objection of the ordinance, which would ban breeds of the American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, American bulldog, mixed-pit bull breeds and any dog that resembles a pit bull.

On Oct. 13, Sarah Sprouse, program administrator for the Canine Legislation of the AKC, wrote a letter on behalf of several dog owners in Bentonville who are concerned about the ordinance. "Breed-specific legislation in any form has several inherent flaws and does not appropriately address the public-safety concerns of the community," the letter states. "Enforcement of a breed-related law is difficult because of inability to accurately identify breeds, unfair negative impact on model citizens and their mannerly dogs, and lack of attention to the real issue of responsibility."

Sprouse offered in her letter to the city the AKC’s help in developing a suitable ordinance.

Clay Morgan, director of the Humane Society of Benton County in Rogers, hasn’t read the ordinance word for word but does hope the city takes some considerations in developing the ordinance.

Pit bulls aren’t bad, Morgan said, but it’s often a responsibility issue. Those who do adopt pit bulls must know how to care for them properly. "The sad thing is, if I get (pit bulls) in here to adopt out, it’s almost impossible to adopt them," Morgan said. "If you get one, you’ve got to have a proper fence for it. You’ve got to be able to keep it up. And a lot of times, it’s not really the pit bulls, but a lot of the people who have them is the biggest problem."

Morgan said he doesn’t believe a breed ban would stop those who improperly raise pit bulls from continuing to raise them. "If (the City Council passes) a law, a lot of people are going to get a pit bull (and keep) it. This ordinance is not going to stop people from getting them."

Morgan hopes the city will, as Thompson stated in the memo, work with local animal welfare organizations to find a common ground. In addition, Morgan voiced concerns about the clause that bans dogs that resemble pit bull breeds. "A boxer looks like a pit bull, and it doesn’t have the same temperament at all."

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers.

http://nwanews.com/story.php?paper=bcdr&section=News&storyid=26777

 

If they ban these dogs based on reputation of other dogs thats just plain out Bull Sh*t!! Not all pits and other dogs they consider pits like rots and dobys are mean. I have a pit and she is the most gentle dog i have ever seen. Infact me and my boyfriend just had a newborn son and she has loved him since the day we came home from the hospital. She absolutely loves to play, and even when my boyfriend is playing with her and they start to get rough, once she senses her teeth touching your skin she lets go. And I know for a fact pits have a lot of pressure behind those jaws but its not the dog its ts all in the way you raise them and how you treat them. These kind of dogs need lots of love and affection and IF YOU CANT GIVE THAT TO THEM THEN YOU DONT NEED TO OWN ONE, BOTTOMLINE! I mean i can understand why a dog fighter would want a breed like that because they making money off of them [not that i dont dispise do fighters] but if your just gonna get a breed like that and treat it badly your just asking for a lawsuit or to be bitten yourself so why be so stupid. Heres my closing agument , You even see it on shows like animal cops THE OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PETS ACTIONS WHETHER IT BE A PIT BULL OR A POMERANIAN, SO I DONT SEE HOW THEY CAN BE BLAIMING THEM NOW AND TRYING TO BAN THEM ITS A BUNCH A BULL IF YOU AK ME!!