Monthly Archives: September 2011

Lake City, AR: Breeds added to breed ban

Posted on September 28, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Lake City, AR has added American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, and mixes to their “pit bull” ban, which has been in place since 1991. This was done at the request of citizens, and no one spoke in opposition during any of three readings. I have found no news coverage of the proposal prior to its passage, and Lake City’s agendas are not available online. I do not know to what extent city officials informed the public about the proposal.

City Council meets the third Monday night of each month, at 6:30 p.m., at City Hall. Residents desiring to present an issue on the agenda must do so by noon on the Friday preceding the scheduled Monday meeting. If residents can request expansion of the ban, it seems reasonable that residents may also request elimination of the ban. Individual contact information for the city council may be found here: http://lakecityar.com/?page_id=17

Lake City expands vicious dog restrictions

Posted: Sep 28, 2011 9:11 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 28, 2011 7:28 PM CDT
By Brandi Hunter, Video Journalist – email

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – The city council in Lake City expanded an existing animal ordinance that bans pit bulls to include more breeds.

Since 1991, Lake City ordinance 135 has prohibited residents from owning pit bulls. The city council unanimously approved ordinance 253-11, an amended ordinance that includes a ban on Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American bulldogs and mixed breeds that are offspring of bulldogs. [...]

Full article retrieved 9/28/11 from http://www.kait8.com/story/15568028/lake-city-expands-vicious-dog-restrictions

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Posted in Additional Breeds, Arkansas

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Union, MS: Breed ban passed

Posted on September 24, 2011 by | 9 Comments

The town of Union, MS, has passed a ban on “the breed of dog commonly known as a pit bulldog” as well as “pit bulldog mixes,” according to the front page of the Newton County Appeal from Wednesday, September 21. The city may consider banning other breeds in addition to the vague and undefined “pit bulldog.”

Pit bulls banned in Union

by Jack Tennehill, Appeal Editor

Pit bulls have been outlawed in Union.

Meeting in a specially called meeting last Tuesday night, the aldermen voted unanimously to pass an ordinance that would ban “the breed of dog commonly known as the ‘Pit Bulldog.’”

The new measure would also ban what it terms as a “Pit Bulldog Mix.”

The ordinance which would go into effect in October, does not make any provision for the dogs to be penned or leashed. It is specific in calling for their removal from the city limits. [Remainder of article not available online.]

You may view the Appeal front page here: http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/297979_154019594688446_105485776208495_278577_1111925815_n.jpg

Union is a very small town with no website. This is the only city contact information I can find.
404 Bank St., Union, MS 39365
Phone: (601) 774-9422

Thanks to Rayanne (Twitter @agilitylabs) for the notification!

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Posted in BSL Passed, Mississippi

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Overland, MO: Breed ban passed

Posted on September 23, 2011 by | 6 Comments

Overland, MO, has passed a ban on “pit bulls.” The ban will go into effect in January 2012.

It is unclear how this ban came about. Overland’s old animal ordinance specifically prohibited dogs from being declared dangerous based solely on breed. With the passage of the new ordinance, the city has made an abrupt 180 degree turn. According to the only news article I could find about this, “Officials say this ban is not a result of any particular incident, but rather is the city being proactive based on what other cities across the country have adopted concerning pit bull laws.”

There has been no media coverage, and StopBSL received no advance notification that Overland was considering a breed ban, so it’s unclear how much publicity the animal ordinance revisions actually got. The agendas and minutes on Overland’s city website are not kept current, so at this time, I do not know when the council met on this issue, what was discussed, or what the new animal ordinance looks like.

Thanks to Mike for sending me the news article, which is all of 4 sentences long and can be read here: http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Dog-breed-to-be-banned-in-Overland-130456223.html

The City Council shall hold regular meetings on the second (2nd) and fourth
(4th) Mondays of each month with the exception of the months of July, August and December wherein there shall be one (1) meeting per month held on the second (2nd) Monday of the month.  Next council meeting: September 26. Although it sounds like this is a done deal, residents and locals who were unaware that this dialogue was taking place may wish to voice their opinions during the council meeting.

You may voice your disappointment to city officials with this contact info:
City Hall, 9119 Lackland Road, Overland, MO 63114
(314) 428-4321
Fax (314) 428-3515
Directory (phone and email) for mayor and council: http://overlandmo.org/Directory.aspx?did=7

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Posted in BSL Passed, Missouri

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Topeka, KS: Repeal of BSL results in fewer shelter euths

Posted on September 23, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Topeka, KS repealed BSL in September 2010; this year, the local humane society reports a drop in euthanasia. BSL has shown to be a drain on local animal shelter resources and to increase euthanasia rates, so this result after BSL repeal is expected.

Note: The headline is a little bit misleading because Topeka no longer has BSL. The headline should probably say “A year later, no pit bull rules means less euthanasia.”

A year later, pit bull rules mean less euthanasia

Posted: September 23, 2011 – 5:25pm
By Tim Hrenchir, THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The Helping Hands Humane Society has seen a 24 percent drop in the number of dogs it euthanizes since a city ordinance was approved nearly a year ago changing animal control rules, says humane society executive director Bill Acree.

Most euthanasia at the shelter now takes place because of health and behavior, with “very little” resulting from a lack of space, Acree said Friday.

He said the decrease came about after the city’s governing body voted Sept. 28, 2010, to revise city rules for stray cats and dangerous dogs, including loosening up regulations regarding pit bulls.[...]

The ordinance also changed the previous rules by allowing for Helping Hands to adopt out pit bulls picked up by the city. [...]

Full article retrieved 9/23/11 from http://cjonline.com/news/local/2011-09-23/year-later-pit-bull-rules-mean-less-euthanasia

Previous alerts for Topeka: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22topeka%2C+ks%22

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Posted in Kansas, Results of BSL

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Egelston Township, MI: BSL rejected

Posted on September 23, 2011 by | Comments Off

Egelston Township council has rejected a proposal that would have placed restrictions on ownership of “pit bulls.”

Pit bull ordinance rejected by Egelston Township board

Published: Friday, September 23, 2011, 11:32 AM
By Lynn Moore | The Muskegon Chronicle

[...] The township board has rejected a proposed vicious animal ordinance that targeted pit bull terriers, requiring them to be kept indoors or in a covered kennel and walked with a muzzle.

The ordinance had been proposed by the township planning commission, which now has been charged with reworking the ordinance so it is not “breed specific,” said township Supervisor Mike Thompson.[...]

Thompson said he received about 20 emails from residents opposed to the proposal, and just one in support of it.

Several members of a crowd that turned out for the board’s meeting Sept. 19 agreed to help draft a more appropriate ordinance for the township, Thompson said.[...]

Full article retrieved 9/23/11 from http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/09/pit_bull_ordinance_rejected_by.html

All alerts for Egelston Township: http://stopbsl.com/?s=egelston

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Posted in BSL Defeated, Michigan

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New at StopBSL: Find a Local Group

Posted on September 22, 2011 by | 2 Comments

“Is there a local group I can join to stop proposed BSL in my town?”
“Is anyone else trying to get this law repealed?”
“How do I find other people near me who want to stop BSL here?”

StopBSL gets this kind of question frequently—and until now, we’ve relied on memory, post comments, and Google Search to provide an answer.

We would like to invite you to help us create a list of local groups (and individuals) that are focusing their efforts on a particular breed-specific law in a particular municipality, state, or region.

If you

  • want to start a local group to oppose a breed-specific proposal or law in your area
  • or know about or are part of a local group that is opposing a breed-specific proposal or law in your area
  • and want your neighbors to join you in opposition to a local breed-specific proposal or law

please fill out this short form so that we can add your group to our public list.

As the list grows, you and I can quickly refer interested individuals to this list so they can find and join local opposition to BSL. A well-organized and vocal community group is an invaluable tool for fighting local BSL—they can attend council and board meetings, contact local news media, educate the community, and more.

The list of local groups can be found here. (Since we’ve only just started gathering data, please be aware that this list is basically empty right now. We hope it will fill up quickly!)

Please share this new resource with your fellow BSL opponents! The more groups we can add to the list, the easier it will be for people to find and get involved directly in their community.

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Posted in Administrative, Community Initiatives

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Waterloo, IA: Whispers of BSL

Posted on September 22, 2011 by | Comments Off

Thanks to Jodi for this heads up! We fully agree—Waterloo residents, please speak up now to ensure that Waterloo council makes breed-neutral choices.

A resident of Waterloo, Iowa has requested the city council revise its animal control ordinance in the wake of a dog-on-dog attack. One of the requested revisions is a ban on “pit bulls” in the city limits.

Read more at Bless the Bullys: http://blessthebullys.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/residents-of-waterloo-iowa-take-an-active-role-in-your-community/

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Posted in Iowa, Whispers of BSL

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