Monthly Archives: March 2010

Lakewood, OH: Lawsuit filed against city due to “pit bull” ban

Read a copy of the suit filed in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Common Pleas Court: http://www.lovelakewood.com/pdf/dog/100319_pitbull_court.pdf

An excerpt of the case (visit the link for the full post):

http://www.lovelakewood.com/blog/2010/03/30/citys-enforcement-of-pit-bull-ban-draws-lawsuit/

Former Lakewood resident Leonard Shelton alleges that he suffered “economic damages, psychological damages, and other compensatory damages” when the city harassed him about Rosco, his Boston Terrier mix, and forced them both to move out of the city. Shelton is seeking a minimum of $475,000 in damages.

According to Shelton’s complaint, Stewart and Lakewood police officer Kenneth Kulczycki stopped him on the street in April, 2009, and told him his pet was a pit bull and needed to be removed from the city, or else he would face criminal charges.

[...] Shelton’s complaint against the city says its inability to correctly identify the breed of his dog, the harassment, and refusal to accept DNA proof was motivated by “among other things, malice, ill will, discrimination, and bad faith and constitutes violations of [his] constitutional rights.”

Additional posts and info about Leonard Shelton:

http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2009/05/bsl-again-affecting-good-owners.html

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/leonard-shelton-fought-in-the-marines-for-20-years-now-he-fights-for-sleep/Content?oid=1505838

Livingston County, MI: Livingston animal shelter extends adoption time, may drop ‘bully breed’ ban

Following this news, PETA sent a letter to the editor titled “Rescued pit bulls not family pets.”  The letter requests that Livingston County Animal Control continue to kill “bully breed” dogs rather than adopt them out.

Livingston animal shelter extends adoption time, may drop ‘bully breed’ ban

Valerie Olander / The Detroit News
Last Updated: March 15. 2010 1:00AM

Howell — A two-year ban on adopting out stray “bully breeds” at Livingston County Animal Control is expected to be lifted and replaced with a policy that affects only those animals deemed aggressive.[...]

Full article retrieved 3/26/10 from http://detnews.com/article/20100315/METRO04/3150316/Livingston-animal-shelter-extends-adoption-time–may-drop–bully-breed–ban#ixzz0jLHfPk32

Yucaipa, CA update: Residents request “pit bull” ban

California state law prohibits breed-specific legislation, with the exception of breed-specific spay/neuter. Yucaipa city council is aware of state law. Please send viable breed-neutral model laws and other correspondence to the council for consideration.

Mayor Dick Riddell, driddell@yucaipa.org
Mayor Pro Tem Allan Drusys, DVM, adrusys@yucaipa.org
Councilmember Denise Hoyt, dhoyt@yucaipa.org
Councilmember Tom Masner, tommasner@yucaipa.org
Councilmember Diane Smith, dsmith@yucaipa.org

Council meetings are open public meetings and are held on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 34272 Yucaipa Boulevard, Yucaipa, CA 92399.

Previous alerts for Yucaipa: http://stopbsl.com/?s=yucaipa

Council hears pleas to ban pit bulls: Some support breed

By NOELLE KIELY
Staff Reporter
Published: Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:12 PM PDT

The first hour of the March 22 council meeting was dedicated to public comments….

Barbra Evans, a member of the Best Friends Animal Society, said she was asked to come to listen to the arguments….

At the end of the council meeting, Councilwoman Diane Smith said, “After hearing all the testimony tonight, I would like to have staff look into what our options are for regulating vicious dogs.”

Full story retrieved March 26, 2010 from http://www.newsmirror.net/articles/2010/03/26/news/doc4baa7ba851ce0786427272.txt

Sioux City, IA: Dogs exempted from pit bull ban face impoundment deadline

More than 100 dogs exempted from Sioux City pit bull ban face impoundment deadline

By Associated Press
7:12 AM CDT, March 25, 2010

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City’s pit bull ban will be tested again in April, when more than 150 pit bulls allowed to live in the city need to be reregistered or face impoundment.[...]

Article retrieved 3/25/10 from http://www.wqad.com/news/sns-ap-ia–iowapitbullban,0,5145278.story

Marshall, MN editorial calls for “pit bull” ban

The Marshall Independent newspaper in Minnesota has published an editorial calling for a “pit bull” ban.

http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/515764.html?nav=5017

St. Mary Parish, LA update: BSL passed

Previous alert for St. Mary Parish: http://stopbsl.com/2010/01/15/st-mary-parish-la-st-mary-tables-ban-on-pit-bulls/

Pit bull ordinance passes in St. Mary

By ROBERT R. JONES III
Special to The Advocate
Published: Mar 24, 2010 – UPDATED: 8:25 p.m.

FRANKLIN — The St. Mary Parish Council unanimously adopted an ordinance Wednesday regulating the ownership of pit bulls in unincorporated areas of the parish.

The strict measures, which go into effect July 1, levy several restrictions on owners of the dogs, including living at the same physical address at which the dogs are housed; being at least 21 years old; providing proof of rabies vaccinations; and ensuring the dog has been micro-chipped.

[...]No residents at the public hearing or official meeting spoke in favor of the ordinance.

Article retrieved 3/24/10 from http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/89076082.html

Boaz, AL update: Ordinance passes without BSL

Previous alerts for Boaz: http://stopbsl.com/?s=boaz

Boaz council tames vicious animals ordinance

By Lionel Green
The Reporter
Published March 25, 2010

The Boaz City Council removed the breed-specific language from a proposed vicious animals ordinance and unanimously passed the measure during a meeting Monday at the Boaz Senior Center.[...]

Article retrieved 3/24/10 from http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/story.lasso?ewcd=16b94c18ecfb1169