AUBURN -- The Auburn City Council made progress on an ordinance that may put a lease on man's best friend, and a muzzle if the best friend is a pit bull.
Council likely won't pick up the issue until next year, councilor William Graney said.
The proposal contains a number of changes, such as imposing a six-foot lease law, addresses prolonged barking, requests cages and fences for those canines labeled dangerous.
"We're not after the people who take care of their animals," Corporation Counsel John Rossi said. "We're trying to enforce a public purpose in general for those who don't take care of their animals."
City Manager Mark Palesh assured people that city officials drafted the policy by examining other municipalities' practices, such as Ithaca and Watertown.
He recognized this was an issue that many government officials don't want to touch, but was a security concern, and needed to be addressed.
While Thursday's meeting was a work session, Mayor Timothy Lattimore requested the city open it up to allow a makeshift public-to-be-heard session, which found some in favor of and some against the measure.
Alicia McKeen, a city employee, shared her concerns with the ordinance. She said one of the biggest objections was singling out specific breeds.
The proposal includes more restrictions for pit bulls and Dobermans, including those dogs having to wear a muzzle once off their owners' properties.
Lattimore also voiced reluctance to make specifications based on breed, saying individual animals have different temperament.
Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Citizen.
The proposal contains a number of changes, such as imposing a six-foot lease law, addresses prolonged barking, requests cages and fences for those canines labeled dangerous.
"We're not after the people who take care of their animals," Corporation Counsel John Rossi said. "We're trying to enforce a public purpose in general for those who don't take care of their animals."
City Manager Mark Palesh assured people that city officials drafted the policy by examining other municipalities' practices, such as Ithaca and Watertown.
He recognized this was an issue that many government officials don't want to touch, but was a security concern, and needed to be addressed.
While Thursday's meeting was a work session, Mayor Timothy Lattimore requested the city open it up to allow a makeshift public-to-be-heard session, which found some in favor of and some against the measure.
Alicia McKeen, a city employee, shared her concerns with the ordinance. She said one of the biggest objections was singling out specific breeds.
The proposal includes more restrictions for pit bulls and Dobermans, including those dogs having to wear a muzzle once off their owners' properties.
Lattimore also voiced reluctance to make specifications based on breed, saying individual animals have different temperament.
Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Citizen.
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loverofanimals1 wrote on Jan 6, 2008 10:57 AM:
What is BSL?
What you need to know about BSL!
Your city or county is considering passing Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). These types of laws should
NOT be supported by any responsible dog owners! There is no breed of dog that is inherently dangerous and
that has been proven in a court of law. It is irresponsible dog owners who cause dog attacks and those are the
people who MUST be held responsible NOT innocent dogs. For those of you reading this poster and feeling
that it doesn’t effect you because you don’t own one of the pit bull breeds, think again! Throughout the
United States there are BSL laws against several breeds of dog German Shepard, Presa Canario, St. Bernard,
Akita, Doberman, etc. Your breed could be next! Don’t think so? Well consider Italy who passed BSL
against 92 breeds of dog including the Corgi and Border Collie. Nassau has passed BSL against many large
breed dogs. It happens and it can happen to you. So what will happen when the neighbors Labrador bites a
child?
Some BSL Facts:
♦ Every major canine organization in the US and Canada are against BSL type laws. They believe in a Punish
the deed NOT the breed approach holding owners responsible. Some of the organizations: AKC, UKC
American Veterinary Medical Association, National Animal Control Association, ASPCA, etc.
♦ BSL is costly to a community. In Prince Georges County, MD they estimated it cost them $560,000.00
over a 2 year period. Baltimore, MD estimated it cost them $750,000.00 per year to have BSL. Prince
Georges County also noted there were additional revenue losses, the number of canine shows and exhibits
dramatically dropped once BSL was passed. These losses were passed onto the community because of less
travelers which effects hotels, restaurants, gas stations, veterinary care, etc.
♦ BSL has been ruled as unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court and a Westbury, NY Court. BSL
Laws have been ruled against by several courts of law throughout the US including, Alabama Supreme
Court, NY Supreme Court, MA Supreme Court just to name a few.
♦ All dogs are capable of biting and inflicting fatal wounds. In 2002 a Pomeranian fatally mauled an infant.
According to Karen Delise the dog most involved in fatal attacks is an unaltered male, followed by an unaltered
female.
BSL laws do not make a community safer as they don’t address the root cause of the problem and that’s the
irresponsible dog owners. Effective laws need to be drafted that protect responsible dog owners rights and
hold irresponsible owners accountable for their animals actions.
For more information on pit bulls visit these sites: www.understand-a-bull.com and www.pbrc.net
Also a touching video visit link below.
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=8070817
"
loverofanimals1 wrote on Jan 6, 2008 10:11 AM:
annmarie wrote on Dec 21, 2007 11:24 AM:
annmarie wrote on Dec 21, 2007 8:38 AM: