Monthly Archives: January 2010

Brampton, Ontario, Canada: Two dogs on death row due to breed misidentification

Two dogs are in danger of being killed in Brampton because animal control officers have decided that the dogs look like “pit bulls” (banned in Ontario). Neither the dogs nor the owners have done anything wrong.

Rambo on death row as city, owners battle over breeding

Friday January 29 2010
By PAM DOUGLAS

Rambo wasn’t hurting anyone.

No one had complained about the young dog, he hadn’t escaped 75-year-old Maria Gaspar’s Vodden Street yard, and he had never bitten anyone.

But Rambo and his sister, Brittany, are on death row at the City of Brampton’s Animal Shelter right now while their owners are embroiled in a battle to get their beloved pets back before they are euthanized. The deadline- Feb. 5.

Both dogs were seized from separate homes on Jan. 13 by city animal control officials who said they believed the dogs to be pitbulls.

Their owners say that’s not true, and both say they have proof from veterinarians tracing their backgrounds as boxers/American bulldogs.[...]

Full story retrieved 1/30/10 from http://www.northpeel.com/news/article/85585

Toledo, OH: Dog warden office stops enforcing city ‘pit bull’ rule

Summary: The city of Toledo, Ohio has BSL limiting its residents to only one “pit bull” or “pit bull” mix, and mandating muzzles and leashes when away from home. Toledo has a $146K contract with the Lucas County Dog Warden, where Toldeo pays the warden’s office $100 for every “pit bull” related misdemeanor citation. On January 20, Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael Goulding found Toledo’s ownership restrictions exceed the state law, conflicting with home-rule doctrine. (Ohio law does designate “pit bulls” inherently vicious, but it does not: mandate muzzling; limit how many “pit bull” dogs one may own; group certain mixed breed dogs with “pit bulls.”) So, county and city officials requested the dog warden’s office to stop targeting “pit bulls” and “pit bull” mixes. (But they still refuse to adopt them out; all such dogs are euthanized by the county, unless claimed by their owners.) A committee may soon be rewriting the law — either a subcommittee of the existing Dog Warden Advisory Committee, or a new citizens task force. Groups including the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates and the Best Friends Animal Society are volunteering their expertise for such a task force.  Toledo City Council was scheduled to vote in early February on setting up a Toledo Dog Policy Advisory Task Force.

Dog warden office stops enforcing city ‘pit bull’ rule

Don’t target animals, deputies told

By JC REINDL
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published January 28, 2010

The Lucas County Dog Warden’s office has stopped enforcing the city of Toledo’s controversial vicious-dogs law and “pit bull” restrictions [because] parts of the law are unconstitutional….

Dog warden deputies have previously ventured onto Toledoans’ properties to seize dogs that look like “pit bulls”….

Toledo may soon have a citizen-led committee to rewrite the now-contested law….

Contact JC Reindl at: jreindl@theblade.com or 419-724-6065.

Full article retrieved 2010-01-29 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100128/NEWS16/100129670

Rome Township, OH: Banned dog ordinance lacks teeth (difficulty to enforce BSL)

Banned dog ordinance lacks teeth

DAVID E. MALLOY
The Herald-Dispatch
January 28, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

ROME TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Pit bulls and other dogs described as vicious are being banned in Rome Township, but enforcement could be a problem.

The Rome Township Board of Trustees approved a resolution banning residents from owning pit bull terriers or vicious dogs last summer….

However, County Dog Warden Bill Click said he doesn’t have the manpower to enforce the ban….

Full article retrieved 2010-01-29 from http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/ohio/x300714136/Banned-dog-ordinance-lacks-teeth

Other alerts for Rome Twnshp, OH: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22Rome+Township%2C+OH%22

Auburn, CA: Auburn studies dog rules (breed-specific MSN)

Auburn has been discussing breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter for several months. Previous alerts for Auburn: http://stopbsl.com/?s=auburn

The City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

Auburn studies dog rules

Pitbull supporters assemble to protest breed-specific regulations

By Michelle Miller-Carl Journal News Editor

Pitbull supporters turned out for the Auburn City Council meeting Monday night to hear a status report on updates to the city’s animal regulations, including any that may target the breed.[...]

Full article retrieved 1/26/10 from http://auburnjournal.com/detail/140568.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id

Memphis, TN: Meeting to discuss BSL postponed to Feb. 9

Thanks, Jodi and Taylor, for this notice.

Memphis, TN, city council was to discuss breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter today, Jan. 26, during the city council meeting. This meeting has been postponed to Feb. 9.

This time can be used to continue to contact city officials regarding this discriminatory proposal.

Previous alert for Memphis (with contact info for city officials): http://stopbsl.com/2010/01/24/memphis-tn-reminder-public-meeting-to-discuss-breed-specific-mandatory-spayneuter-jan-26/

All alerts for Memphis, TN:  http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22Memphis%2C+TN%22

Venezuela: Pit bulls to be banned at end of 2014

Translated from Google Translate

Venezuela restricts possession of certain dogs

By: AP Agency
Wednesday, 06 Jan of 2010

CARACAS ( AP ). Venezuelan authorities restricted the ownership and possession of pit bulls, according to a new law that, among other things, prohibited after 2014 from owning dogs of this race.

With the new law on protection of domestic animals, which took effect Monday upon publication in the official gazette, was forbidden to import, reproduce, adopt, raise and market the pit bull, a name that usually includes at least two breeds of dogs : the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier.[...]

Full article retrieved 1/25/10 from http://www.telemetro.com/inter/2010/01/06/nota45284.html (untranslated)

Sioux City, IA: Hobart calls for softening city’s animal laws

Previous alerts for Sioux City: http://stopbsl.com/?s=sioux+city%2C+ia

Hobart calls for softening city’s animal laws

Council to consider vicious-animal hearing procedures Monday

By Lynn Zerschling – lzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:00 am

SIOUX CITY — Mayor Mike Hobart wants the city to backtrack on animal laws passed on his watch, saying he wants to lift the pit bull ban and, under certain circumstances, give owners of animals declared vicious a chance to place their pets in new homes outside the city.[...]

Full article retrieved 1/25/10 from http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_8bc348f9-2f59-5336-8b51-668a01490595.html