Monthly Archives: October 2011

Dunkirk, NY: Council talks about BSL

Posted on October 20, 2011 by | Comments Off

After residents expressed concerns about dangerous dogs in their community, Councilmember Michael Michalski said a breed-specific ban would have his full support.

There followed a bit of back-and-forth between councilmembers about the feasibility of a breed ban. Council seems to be aware that New York state law prohibits them from passing a breed-specific ordinance. Councilmembers generally felt that dog attacks had increased, and they need to do something, but didn’t know what.

Although BSL is not a possibility for Dunkirk, the council may benefit from breed-neutral suggestions and education so that they can choose an effective and appropriate path toward increased public safety.

If you would like to get involved in Dunkirk, please contact the city council here: http://www.cityofdunkirk.com/node/18

News article about this Dunkirk council meeting: http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/564544/Residents-talk-about-dog-attacks-in-Dunkirk.html?nav=5047

 

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Posted in New York, Whispers of BSL

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Springfield, TN: Retroactive BSL vote deferred

Posted on October 20, 2011 by | Comments Off

Jodi from Bless the Bullys has a detailed update on Springfield, TN here: http://blessthebullys.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/update-springfield-tn/

The council was considering a new retroactive registration fee for “pit bull” owners, on top of its current breed-specific ordinance. After strong community feedback against the retroactive fee and the breed-specific ordinance in general, the council deferred a vote on the fee and also said they may consider revamping the dog ordinance in a breed-neutral direction.

Jodi’s summary of the council meeting is a worthy read, especially if you are fighting BSL in your area and you need some ideas about how it’s done.

All alerts for Springfield, TN: http://stopbsl.com/?s=springfield%2C+tn

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Posted in BSL Defeated, Tennessee

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Ohio HB 14: Possible Senate committee hearing in November

Posted on October 18, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Edit 1/31/12: You are viewing an old post; HB 14 has advanced. View all alerts for HB 14: http://stopbsl.com/?s=ohio+hb+14

Update 11/15/11: Confirmed! Hearing will be held on Nov 16.

HB 14 is a comprehensive dog control bill that would repeal Ohio’s statewide BSL. HB 14 has gotten further in the process than similar attempts in previous years, and has the support of the Ohio Dog Wardens Association, so we have high hopes for its success. HB 14 passed the House in June and has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Ohio Legislature is back from summer break, and HB 14 is on the move again. The bill is tentatively scheduled for a Judiciary Committee hearing and sponsor testimony in mid-November (possibly 16th). We’ll have more details about the hearing time as they become available. In the meantime, please contact the Senate Judiciary Committee and your own Ohio state senator and tell them that you support HB 14 and the repeal of statewide breed-specific discrimination!

Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them to pass HB 14 out of committee:
SD02@senate.state.oh.us; SD22@senate.state.oh.us; SD25@maild.sen.state.oh.us; SD12@senate.state.oh.us; SD09@maild.sen.state.oh.us; SD27@senate.state.oh.us; SD29@senate.state.oh.us; SD33@maild.sen.state.oh.us; SD08@senate.state.oh.us

Link to Senate Judiciary Committee:
http://www.ohiosenate.gov/committees/standing/detail/judiciary.html

Find your state senator using the legislator locator:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/index.cfm

The full text of HB 14 as reported from the House can be read here: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=129_HB_14

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Posted in Ohio, Proposal to Repeal

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Springfield, TN: Hearing on breed-specific restrictions, Oct 18

Posted on October 17, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Thanks to Jodi for this update on Springfield!

A public hearing on a proposal to make “pit bull” owners pay a retroactive registration fee will take place on October 18 at 6:30 PM at City Hall, 405 North Main Street, Springfield, TN.

Contact info for Springfield, TN city officials
City Hall, 405 North Main Street, Springfield, Tennessee 37172
615.382.2200

The second reading of a proposed amendment to the existing pit bull ordinance in Springfield, TN is tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18, 2011. The city council has decided to add a registration fee to the ordinance that has been in effect since 2001. The registration fee would be retroactive.

Opposing the proposed registration fee may seem insignificant, but in reality, its a matter of principal. As noted above, the ordinance has been in effect since 2001. Residents have already complied with all the city’s requirements in order to keep their dogs. Now the city wants to target them even further by tacking on an additional fee?

A public hearing on the proposed amendment will be held immediately prior to the city council meeting tomorrow. Meetings take place at City Hall, 405 North Main Street in Springfield, and begin at 7:30 p.m. The public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Please join us tomorrow in order to show a strong, unified position against adding additional regulations to an already biased and cumbersome ordinance.

All alerts for Springfield, TN: http://stopbsl.com/?s=springfield%2C+tn

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Posted in BSL Proposed, Tennessee

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Ridgely, MD: Maybe considering more BSL (maybe additional breeds)

Posted on October 16, 2011 by | Comments Off

Update 10/20/11: StopBSL received clarification from a site visitor who managed to get in touch with Ridgely officials. According to the city clerk, the city council merely discussed a new registration form. The law is not changing—only the administrative process might. The news article below was, according to the clerk, totally inaccurate.

StopBSL received the following cryptic one-sentence news summary from our BSL news aggregator:

Ridgely considers registration of certain dog breeds

Posted: Thursday, October 13, 2011 1:00 am
By DANIEL DIVILIO Staff Writer

Ridgely officials are considering a bill requiring certain breeds of dogs deemed inherently dangerous be registered with the town’s police department. [...]

(Remainder of article is subscription-only: http://www.stardem.com/article_68a02276-dc68-5ca9-bf64-095bff3d691e.html)

We were left scratching our heads about this news, because Ridgely already has BSL in place. “Pit bull dogs” are automatically considered dangerous dogs, and various special restrictions are in place for owners of pit bulls: special leashes, muzzles, special confinement requirements, liability insurance, signage, and special registration with the police department.

It is unclear, therefore, why the town would consider an ordinance that they apparently already have in place. Possibly, they intend to add more breeds to the breed-specific dangerous dog ordinance. Possibly, they intend to rewrite the current BSL in some way. Or, possibly, the news media has gotten something wrong. [ED: It was the latter.]

StopBSL has contacted the town commissioners to seek clarification, but has received no reply to date. We encourage locals and residents in and around Ridgely to initiate respectful dialogue with commissioners, and to attend the town meeting tomorrow. If you are able to determine exactly what is being proposed, please send StopBSL a note.

President Dale Mumford, dmumford@ridgelymd.org
Commissioner Linda Epperly-Glover, lepperly_glover@ridgelymd.org
Commissioner Anthony Casey, acasey@ridgelymd.org
Town Administrator Diane E. Wojcik, dwojcik@ridgelymd.org
Clerk-Treasurer Stephanie Berkey, sberkey@ridgelymd.org

Town Meeting, October 17, 7 PM
Town Office, 2 Central Avenue, Ridgely, MD, 21660
410-634-2177

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Posted in Maryland, Whispers of BSL

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Chippewa Falls, WI: Committee will discuss animal ordinance, Oct 17

Posted on October 16, 2011 by | Comments Off

Is Chippewa Falls considering BSL, or is it not? In early October, the Leader-Telegram published an article that claimed a “pit bull ordinance” was being discussed by the council. However, StopBSL was later forwarded an email from Councilmember Hicks, the chair of the Public Safety Committee. Hicks stated that BSL was not under consideration by council or committee, and that the committee intends to look at ways to strengthen existing ordinances and hold owners responsible.

The Chippewa Falls Committee on Public Safety will meet on October 17 to discuss the current animal ordinance and possibly make a recommendation to council. Since StopBSL has heard two very different stories about what will be discussed or proposed, we encourage locals and residents to attend the committee meeting and continue to respectfully encourage Chippewa Falls officials to pursue effective breed-neutral measures.

Committee on Public Safety meeting
October 17, 9:00 AM
City Hall Council Chambers, 30 W. Central Street, Chippewa Falls, WI

Mayor Gregory S. Hoffman, ghoffman70@aol.com
Michael Hanke, mhanke@chippewafalls-wi.gov
Brian Flynn, bflynn@chippewafalls-wi.gov
C W King, cwking@chippewafalls-wi.gov
Chuck Hull, chull@chippewafalls-wi.gov
Jane Lardahl, jlardahl@chippewafalls-wi.gov
Bill Hicks, bhicks@chippewafalls-wi.gov
George Adrian, gadrian@chippewafalls-wi.gov

Email block for cut-and-paste
ghoffman70@aol.com; mhanke@chippewafalls-wi.gov; bflynn@chippewafalls-wi.gov; cwking@chippewafalls-wi.gov; chull@chippewafalls-wi.gov; jlardahl@chippewafalls-wi.gov; bhicks@chippewafalls-wi.gov; gadrian@chippewafalls-wi.gov

All alerts for Chippewa Falls: http://stopbsl.com/?s=chippewa+falls

Thanks to Hank for forwarding the councilmember email. Thanks to Gina for the meeting agenda notification.

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Posted in Whispers of BSL, Wisconsin

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Buchanan, MI reminder: Public workshop to discuss dog laws, Oct 17

Posted on October 16, 2011 by | Comments Off

Buchanan has a barking dog ordinance, but no other animal laws. During the last city commission meeting, at least one resident requested BSL. The commissioners decided to hold a public workshop on October 17 to consider their options further.

StopBSL would like to suggest that locals and residents in and around Buchanan make an effort to participate in community and commission discussions regarding potential animal ordinances, and to guide those discussions toward effective breed-neutral options.

Buchanan public workshop on animal ordinances: October 17, 6:00 PM, Buchanan City Hall, 302 N. Redbud Trail.

Contact info for city commissioners:
**Please don’t flood these folks with emails opposing breed bans. Instead, politely encourage commissioners to consider breed-neutral ordinances and to avoid breed-specific ones. Please encourage them to do the right thing to protect their residents effectively.**
City Hall, 302 N. Redbud Trail, Buchanan, MI 49107
269.695.3844
Carla Cole, Mayor, sienna@qtm.net
Michael A Terrell, terrelm@gmail.com
David Hagey
Patricia Moore, PMDPM@aol.com
Earl “Joe” Scanlon III, Mayor Pro Tem, midasjoe94@yahoo.com
City Manager & Police Chief Bill Marx, wmarx@buchananpolice.net

Email block for cut and paste (note not all commissioners have email)
sienna@qtm.net; terrelm@gmail.com; PMDPM@aol.com; midasjoe94@yahoo.com; wmarx@buchananpolice.net

All alerts for Buchanan, MI: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22buchanan%2C+mi%22

Buchanan residents seek solution to dangerous dogs

STAN MADDUX, South Bend Tribune Correspondent
5:15 p.m. EDT, September 29, 2011

BUCHANAN — Buchanan city commissioners are planning a workshop next month to continue discussion on whether the city needs a dangerous animal ordinance.

Residents packed the commissioners meeting earlier this week in response to pit bull attacks on three residents earlier this month.[...]

The workshop will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at City Hall and the commissioners invited [Berrien County animal control director Val] Grimes to further discuss what can be done locally to address dangerous pets in the city.

Grimes said merely passing an ordinance might not be the answer, explaining enforcement can be too costly, especially in tough economic conditions, and require more manpower than what’s currently available. [...]

Full article retrieved 10/1/11 from http://www.southbendtribune.com/sbt-buchanan-residents-seek-solution-to-dangerous-dogs-20110929,0,7046399.story

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Posted in Michigan, Whispers of BSL

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