Denver Pit bull owners protest city ban

Denver, CO -- A passionate crowd of pit bull owners are arguing that the city's newly re-enacted ban on pit bulls is unfair. They took their cause to the Denver City and County building Monday.

The group says behavior, not breed should determine whether a dog is a safety threat.

They claim animal control has put down 24 pit bulls since the ban went into effect May 9. City officials say 128 animals have been impounded since that date, but won't confirm the exact number of animals that have been put down.

"I found that the law doesn't differentiate between dogs that are aggressive to humans, and those that are not," said Sonya, a pit bull owner who came to the rally. "It gives no allowance to responsible owners who never leave their dogs unsupervised."

She says the ban is forcing her to sell her Denver home and move out of the city. In the meantime, she has sent her pit bull to a sanctuary for pit bulls near Colorado Springs.

Protesters said they have gathered more than 1,000 signatures in support of rescinding at least part of the ban.

City officials say they are studying rules in other cities nationwide to see if the Denver law can be improved. Doug Kelly, the city's director of Animal Control, says he isn't in favor of repealing Denver's ban unless there is an effective alternative.

Many city councilors appear reluctant to ease the rules, even if owners agreed to special licenses and extra liability insurance.

The city first passed a ban on pit bulls in 1989 after a minister was mauled. The Denver ordinance was challenged last year after the state Legislature passed a law against breed-specific bans. Denver filed a lawsuit against the state and a judge sided with the city.

 

The city first passed a ban on pit bulls in 1989 after a minister was mauled

religion once again screws things up
oh no a minister got attacked oh no "pitbulls" are from satan lol you know that some idiots thought this

 

A minister was killed? ahh I won't even give my opinion on that one. Now how does the city win against the state? What was this judge drinking because I want a shot!!!!!!!!! I bet the judge was born and raised there, and he probably remember getting chased by some mixed breed mut when he was a kid, and just called it a pitbull.

 

i think its a bunch of B.S. what they are trying to do to our breed
i got attacked by a pitt when i was 6 its top teeth went in one temple on my head and the bottom went in the other temple and eyebrow and i had to have alot of stitches iwas scared of them for a while till i discovered what a wonderful animal this is.
name another dog that would give its life for its master without thinking about its own

 

Wow. Well that is...uh...certainly some...uh...positive publicity. Why did the "pitt" attack you, Norvell?