Monthly Archives: December 2009

Livonia, MI: Some want more teeth in vicious animals law (not BSL)

Posted on December 10, 2009 by | Comments Off

Here’s an idea: don’t record the agenda item as “Subject of a proposed Ordinance banning pit bull dogs and/or dangerous dogs in the City” and then act surprised when people think city council is going to talk about a breed ban.

Previous alerts for Livonia: http://stopbsl.com/?s=livonia

Some want more teeth in vicious animals law

‘The point is to encourage good behavior and prevent a problem before there is one.’ Don Knapp, city attorney

By KEN ABRAMCZYK
OBSERVER Staff Writer
December 10, 2009

[...] The council heard Monday from several residents concerned about public safety and suggested the council also look at a leash law. Some who attended the meeting and thought the ordinance would ban pit bulls were told that the ordinance instead polices vicious animals and was not breed-specific.[...]

Full article retrieved 12/10/09 from http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20091210/NEWS10/912100610/1027/Some+want+more+teeth+in+vicious+animals+law

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Posted in Michigan, Non-BSL Proposed

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City of Elkhart, IN: Proposed animal control ordinance unveiled (not BSL)

Posted on December 7, 2009 by | 1 Comment

Previous alerts for Elkhart: http://stopbsl.com/?s=elkhart

Read Elkhart’s final animal ordinance proposal and have your say

If you don’t like what you see here, you can go to tonight’s city council session and tell council members what the pet laws ought to be.

Published: Monday, December 07, 2009 — The Truth, A
Last updated: 12/6/2009 11:44:18 PM
By Josh Weinhold, Reporter

Click here to download a PDF copy of the 36-page proposal for Elkhart’s new animal control ordinance.

ELKHART — A piece of legislation more than three months in the making, a massive overhaul of the city’s animal control laws will soon be up for a council vote.

The ad hoc committee that spent weeks debating what to include in the new ordinance ultimately steered clear of the breed-specific animal ban that previous drafts featured. Instead, the proposed ordinance aims to crack down on all breeds of dangerous dogs while also emphasizing the need for every cat and dog to be licensed with the city.[...]

Full article retrieved 12/7/09 from http://www.etruth.com/Know/News/Story.aspx?id=500190

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Posted in BSL Defeated, Indiana, Non-BSL Proposed

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Ohio: Ohio’s ‘pit bull’ law sticks despite tries for change

Posted on December 6, 2009 by | Comments Off

The full article explains how the breed-specific language was adopted by the Ohio legislature decades ago, and is recommended reading.

Ohio’s ‘pit bull’ law sticks despite tries for change

By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF
Article published December 06, 2009

COLUMBUS – [...] The law has firmly stuck despite multiple attempts to repeal the language. Rep. Barbara Sears (R., Sylvania) has launched the latest offensive. Her bill would simply pull references to the “pit bull” from the definition of vicious dog. It has received its obligatory first hearing, but there’s been no action since.[...]

Full article retrieved 12/06/09 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091206/NEWS24/912060323

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Posted in Breed Identification, BSL, Community Initiatives, Court Cases, Ohio

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UK: Dangerous dogs law is a mess, warn campaigners

Posted on December 6, 2009 by | Comments Off

Dangerous dogs law is a mess, warn campaigners

Dog attacks and number of people taken to hospital have doubled since 1991 act, activists say

Helen Carter
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 6 December 2009 21.07 GMT

[...] Clarissa Baldwin, the Dogs Trust chief executive, said: “By banning certain breeds of dog rather than focusing on tackling anti-social behaviour it has not prevented a large number of dog attacks or reduced the number of pit bull terrier-type dogs in the UK. Since that act was introduced. the number of hospitalisations is reported as having doubled.”

[...] “If people have bull breed-type dogs they find it difficult to walk them and they will often not be allowed at training classes when they are legally held, exercised and treated by vets.”

[...] The pit bull was made illegal under the Dangerous Dogs Act, along with Japanese tosas, fila brasilero and dogo argentino. The only way they can be allowed is if the owner obtains a certificate of exemption from a court after having the dog neutered, insured and a transponder implanted and an identification tattoo.

Full article retrieved 12/6/09 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/06/dangerous-dogs-act-calls-repeal

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Posted in Outside of U.S., Results of BSL

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Mobridge, SD update: BSL passed

Posted on December 6, 2009 by | 2 Comments

Previous alerts for Mobridge: http://stopbsl.com/?s=mobridge

Dog Law Debate

Erich Schaffhauser
12/04/2009 10:03 PM

[...] Mobridge city council recently passed a law that doesn’t ban pit bulls but does single them out.

Pit bull owners are required to have $250,000 liability insurance and a sign warning people they have a pit bull. They also need to keep a pit bull fenced or kenneled if it’s running around outside.[...]

But the Mobridge law is tame compared with one passed by a public vote last year in Leola.

There, the law bans a handful of breeds. The city passed it after complaints of Rottweiler and German shepherds running in the streets. Concern also rose when a meter reader in a North Dakota town was a dog attack victim.[...]

Full article retrieved 12/6/09 from http://www.keloland.com/News/EyeonKELOLAND/NewsDetail6403.cfm?Id=93591

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Posted in BSL Passed, South Dakota

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Send Holiday Cards to Your Lawmakers

Posted on December 4, 2009 by | 1 Comment

The holiday season is a great opportunity to gently remind your lawmakers that they need to keep dog owners–especially those with breeds or mixes that are typically targeted by BSL–in mind when they’re writing legislation and voting on it.

Include them in your holiday card recipient list, and in your card, enclose a nice photo of your family and your dogs. (You don’t have to write anything political in the card; just sign and mail.)

It’s a simple gesture that reinforces the idea that you are a caring, concerned, active citizen—and it humanizes you. This makes it more difficult for lawmakers to discriminate against you.

Send a card to your state senators and representatives at a minimum; you might also consider local representatives like your city council or county commissioners.

Find your lawmakers’ contact info through a Google search.

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Posted in Community Initiatives

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Livonia, MI: City council to discuss a possible “pit bull” ban, Dec. 7

Posted on December 4, 2009 by | 3 Comments

In November 2008, Livonia considered BSL, then dropped the idea in favor of non-breed-specific dangerous dog laws, then dropped the entire issue altogether.

Now they are looking at a “pit bull” or “dangerous breed” ordinance yet again.

http://www.ci.livonia.mi.us/Government/CityCouncil/CouncilEventsCalendar/tabid/1295/ModuleID/2338/ItemID/969/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx?selecteddate=12/7/2009

When: Dec. 7, 2009, 7:00 PM
Where: City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall,
What: Agenda Item – 1. CR 508-08 Subject of a proposed Ordinance banning pit bull dogs and/or dangerous dogs in the City.

Contact information for Livonia City Officials:

Laura M. Toy, Council President
(734) 466-2257
ltoy@ci.livonia.mi.us

Terry A. Godfroid-Marecki, Council Vice President
(734) 466-2252
tgodfroid-marecki@ci.livonia.mi.us

Joe Laura
(734) 466-2255
jlaura@ci.livonia.mi.us

James C. McCann
(734) 466-2254
jmccann@ci.livonia.mi.us

Brian Meakin
(734) 466-2253
bmeakin@ci.livonia.mi.us

John Pastor
(734) 466-2258
jpastor@ci.livonia.mi.us

Thomas Robinson
(734) 466-2256
trobinson@ci.livonia.mi.us

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Michigan

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