'Bad dogs

[size=+1]‘Bad dogs’ now banned in city[/size]

By Christina Verderosa

http://www.dewitt-ee.com/articles/2006/02/15/news/news01.txt

After months of discussion, the DeWitt City Council finally passed a new vicious dog ordinance that will ban certain breeds of dogs within the city limits of DeWitt.

Under the new law, “pit bull breeds of dogs” cannot be kept within the city limits. The law defines pit bulls as four specific breeds — the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire BullTerrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bull Dog. In addition, the ordinance bans any mixed-breed dog which is the offspring of a banned breed, or any “dog which is of the breed referred to as ‘pit bull’ and commonly recognizable and identifiable as such.”

The only exception is an AKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier that is a registered show or performance dog.

City residents who currently own dogs of the banned breeds can still keep them under a “grandfather clause.” However, these owners have 30 days to register the dogs with the Animal Control Authority and meet a number of other criteria. However, no new dogs of these breeds can be brought into the city.

There are also new restrictions on how these registered pit bulls can be kept. The dogs must be kept securely confined indoors or in a securely locked pen or fenced area. The dogs can leave the enclosure only if they are securely leashed with a person in physical control of the leash.

City Attorney Rufus T. Buie explained that this ordinance repeals a section of the city’s original animal control ordinance that dealt with vicious dogs. The other provisions of the ordinance dealt with cases of non-vicious dogs and remain in place.

If pit bulls or other vicious dogs are picked up in the city, they can still be redeemed. However, the owners will be subject to considerable reclamation and impoundment fees and court costs and fines. The dog may only be reclaimed twice.

The Council did not resolve other contentious issues, including a proposal to allow RVs or campers to be parked in the city for short periods of time, but Mayor Aubrey McGhee ended up appointing a committee of Aldermen Debbie Fox, Vivian Meins and Joel Fer-guson to study the issue and report back to the council. McGhee said he had been thinking about changing current ordinances, because “the city does not have a mobile home or camper park.” However, Fox said, “this needs to be looked into a little more than just saying they can come in for a few days.”

The Council also delayed action on repairing the city’s storm warning alarms. McGhee presented a bid from SafeCom Inc. of Little Rock which presented several options. The first was to just repair the drivers in the sirens, most of which have failed, which would cost $6,877. McGhee said the contractor recommended that the city do a complete upgrade of the system, which would cost $16,844. “The large number of blown drivers indicate problems in the amplification circuits,” the contractor’s report said.

Some of the council members asked if there were any other companies who did this kind of work, and this price seemed rather high. “It would behoove us to talk to someone who is knowledgeable on this,” Ferguson said. McGhee said he would do more research, “but I hate to be without [a siren].”

Council members again took no action on a proposal to raise the amount Mayor Aubrey McGhee can spend without council approval or competitive bidding, from $10,000 to $20,000, in keeping with a change in state law. Meins moved that the current ordinance be amended to raise the spending limit, but the motion died for lack of a second.

In other actions, the Council appointed Shawn Hudspeth to the Airport Commission, accepted an offer of $400 for an old police car and voted to send the other old police car and an old garbage truck to the Backgate Auction.

Council members declined to provide the insurance and upkeep of new pickup trucks to be used for the CSEPP trailer stationed at the DeWitt Fire Department. The trucks, which were obtained with a grant by Arkansas County for emergency management, would belong to the county and the city could only use them for CSEPP exercises or emergencies.



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Which state is this in?

 

DeWitt, Arkansas

 

thats what happens when you have a bunch of half breeds.. with a bunch of half bred dogs..a real true blood pitbull can be stollen by a five year old..these are dogs that have been bred wrong for wrong reasons and in the hands of wrong people..and banning the whole breed is just wrong..

 

What are the penalties if someone was to bring in a new dog?

 

This breed is not for everyone!!!!!

 

I live in New Jersey and in my city I need 1,000,000 liability insurance to cover my APBTs. Does anyone know of an insurance company that will cover me...cheap?! Thanks.

 

"The only exception is an AKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier that is a registered show or performance dog."


Now do people see how two faced some Am Staff people can be??? What about a preformance /show /service APBT ???

 

Well I cant do that they are reg as APBT with the UKC. I NEED some type of insurance that will cover my bulls.