Monthly Archives: November 2011

Twenty days after I sent to the Bristol mayor a request for clarification/more information, I have received the following email from David Mills, the councilman identified in the Bristol Press as the official who suggested a “ban on dangerous breeds.”

Thank you for your concern about this issue. The report in the newspaper was totally blown out of proportion. I had received many complaints about dogs doing their business and the owners not picking up after them. Complaints about multiple dogs in one area, breeding in multi family buildings etc.

I asked the Corp. Counsel to look at what other towns were doing about this and other dog related problems.. The reporter chose to write that we were looking to ban certain breeds of dogs. This was never mentioned and not being considered at this time.

Dave Mills

If you have been following the events in Bristol, you will recall the very long news article that Bristol Press published on November 6, titled “Dangerous dogs: City considering ban on certain breeds,” which discussed extensively the possibility of a ban or restrictions on certain breeds (“pit bulls” in particular), and in which the reporter quoted city officials talking about the feasibility of a breed ban.

It is very hard to reconcile the news article with Mills’ email—especially in light of Mills’ statement that a breed ban “was never mentioned”—unless most of the news article was fabricated. (We would hope that is not the case.)

However, we would note that Mills and the reporter agree on at least one basic idea: Bristol officials are looking into possible ordinances to alleviate “dog problems.”

In previous Bristol alerts, StopBSL asked that local residents correspond with council and get involved in the council meetings to guide any possible discussions away from breed-specific measures and toward effective breed-neutral solutions. Although Mills’ email clarifies that no BSL is under consideration at this time, we believe public involvement is still necessary and beneficial. We encourage Bristol-area residents to remain engaged in the dog ordinance discussions to ensure that the outcome is indeed breed-neutral and reasonable.

Many thanks to the locals in and around Bristol who have already gotten involved in the dog ordinance discussions and who are helping to guide the council to reasonable breed-neutral solutions.

StopBSL would appreciate updates from a resident or local who attends future council or committee meetings.

All alerts for Bristol: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22bristol%2C+ct%22

The Ordinance Committee meets next on December 21 at 4:30 PM in City Hall Meeting Room 1. The committee may discuss Councillor David Mills’ suggestion to institute a breed ban on “dangerous breeds.” The proposal is in a very early stage, so we do not know exactly which breeds would be affected or any other details about the breed ban. “Pit bulls” have been mentioned by the media as a possible target, but council members have said they do not yet know what should be considered a “dangerous breed.”

There is also a city council meeting on December 13 at 7:00. The council meeting has a public participation period at the beginning of each meeting. This is another opportunity for community members to share their feelings about BSL with the council.

These early stages are the best time for the public to protest any possible BSL and to offer effective, breed-neutral alternatives—before the city council becomes highly invested in the idea. Please send your respectful correspondence to the below contact information. If you are a local, please attend the ordinance committee meeting (and/or the council meeting).

City of Bristol, 111 North Main Street, Bristol, CT 06010
(860) 584-6200
Email block for cut-and-paste
mayorsoffice@ci.bristol.ct.us; artward@ci.bristol.ct.us; kevinmcCauley@ci.bristol.ct.us; cliffordblock@ci.bristol.ct.us; kencockayne@ci.bristol.ct.us; kevinfuller@ci.bristol.ct.us; davemills@ci.bristol.ct.us; terryparker@ci.bristol.ct.us

All alerts for Bristol: http://stopbsl.com/?s=%22bristol%2C+ct%22