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Toledo, OH: Draft bill doesn’t single out ‘pit bulls’ as vicious breed

StopBSL — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:43:49 +0000

Even though the changes proposed would remove breed-specific language from Toledo’s dog ordinance, Ohio state law automatically labels all “pit bulls” as “vicious.” That means any restrictions that Toledo places on “vicious” dogs, such as a limit of one vicious dog per household and mandatory spay/neuter, would also apply to “pit bulls.”

Ohio HB 79, if passed, would remove the “vicious” designation from “pit bulls,” thereby making Toledo’s proposed changes truly breed-neutral.

Toledo dog law may target behavior

Draft bill doesn’t single out ‘pit bulls’ as vicious breed

By CARL RYAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published May 13, 2010

[...]In the end, the Lucas County Dog Warden Advisory Committee reaffirmed its earlier intention of not singling out the “pit bull” as a vicious breed in the draft ordinance, which remains a work in progress.

[...]A vicious dog, for the purposes of the draft legislation, is one defined as such by state law or that has hurt or killed another dog. Because state law defines “pit bulls” as automatically vicious, the draft ordinance would require all of them in the city to be spayed or neutered.

Article retrieved 5/13/10 from http://toledoblade.com/article/20100513/NEWS16/5130392/-1/NEWS10

Filed under: Ohio, Proposal to Repeal

Lucas County, OH: Candidates assail ‘pit bull’ policy

StopBSL — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:28:18 +0000

Candidates assail ‘pit bull’ policy

Commissioner hopefuls say breed should get a shot at adoption

By TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER
Article published April 15, 2010

Candidates running for the vacant seat on the Lucas County Board of Commissioners agreed yesterday the county should move on from its long-standing policy of automatically assigning “pit bull” dogs to be killed.[...]

Article retrieved 4/15/10 from http://toledoblade.com/article/20100415/NEWS09/100419858/0/NEWS24

Filed under: Community Initiatives, Ohio, Results of BSL

Toledo, OH: Toledo works to create new vicious dog ordinance

StopBSL — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:07:18 +0000

Toledo works to create new viscous dog ordinance

Updated: Mar 10, 2010 6:22 PM CST
Rob Wiercinski
Posted by Nick Dutton

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – The Lucas County Dog Warden Advisory Committee and Toledo City Council Public Safety Committee met Wednesday to discuss changing Toledo’s vicious dog ordinance.[...]

Full article retrieved 3/10/10 from http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=12117042

Filed under: Ohio, Results of BSL

Toledo, OH: Citizens panel to study Toledo’s dog ordinance

StopBSL — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:18:18 +0000

Past news for Toledo: http://stopbsl.com/?s=toledo

Citizens panel to study Toledo’s dog ordinance

Committee to seek options if appeal of ‘pit bull’ law is lost

By JC REINDL
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published February 18, 2010

The city of Toledo’s contested vicious-dogs law will be getting a review by a citizen-led committee.

Members of the Lucas County Dog Warden Advisory Committee voted unanimously yesterday to accept a request by Mayor Mike Bell that they examine and suggest changes to the controversial law, which puts additional restrictions on “pit bulls” and “pit-bull”- mixed dogs in the city.[...]

Full article retrieved 2/19/10 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100218/NEWS16/100219603/0/news04

Filed under: Court Cases, Ohio

Toledo, OH: Toledo leaders appeal judge’s ruling on vicious-dogs law

StopBSL — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:31:54 +0000

Toledo leaders appeal judge’s ruling on vicious-dogs law

By IGNAZIO MESSINA
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published February 01, 2010

[...] City officials yesterday filed an appeal in the 6th District Court of Appeals over a Toledo Municipal Court judge’s recent ruling that said parts of the vicious-dogs law and “pit bull” ownership restrictions were unconstitutional.[...]

The Lucas County Dog Warden’s office stopped enforcing the law and the restrictions on so-called “pit bulls” after Judge Michael Goulding, in a Jan. 20 opinion, found that the city’s ownership restrictions were in conflict with home-rule doctrine as the requirements go above and beyond state law.[...]

Full article retrieved 2/2/10 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100201/NEWS02/100209976

Filed under: Court Cases, Ohio

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

StopBSL — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:07:45 +0000

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

Filed under: Court Cases, Ohio, Results of BSL

Toledo, OH: Judge says Toledo’s “pit bull” law flawed

StopBSL — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:24:01 +0000

Judge says Toledo’s ‘pit bull’ law flawed

Some aspects cited as unconstitutional

By JC REINDL

BLADE STAFF WRITER

Article published January 21, 2010

[...] Toledo Municipal Court [Judge Michael Goulding] yesterday found numerous aspects of the city’s “vicious dogs” law unconstitutional, countering a ban on owning more than one “pit bull” and excluding “pit bull” mixed breeds as inherently vicious.

The ruling … involved the case of a Toledo man, Hugh Smith, who was charged with 13 violations of the city’s dog laws in October.

That month, the Lucas County Dog Warden’s Office seized what it deemed to be three “pit bull” dogs from Mr. Smith’s home….

Judge Goulding yesterday dismissed 10 of the charges against Mr. Smith, asserting that the city’s muzzle requirement and one-only limit for “pit bulls” are unconstitutional as they conflict with home-rule doctrine….

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

Full article retrieved 2010-01-22 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100121/NEWS16/1210344/0/SRMAIN

Posted in Court Cases, Ohio, Results of BSL

Lucas County, OH: Adoptions halted for ‘pit bull’ pups

StopBSL — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:29:51 +0000

One step forward, two steps back; Lucas County is determined to kill “pit bulls,” even if it means holding alleged “pit bull” puppies in county kennels until they are old enough to be killed.

Adoptions halted for ‘pit bull’ pups

Pet group blasts commissioners

By IGNAZIO MESSINA
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published December 22, 2009

The leader of the Toledo-area rescue group Planned Pethood Inc. was thrilled last month when Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon was prohibited from killing puppies, but Monday her happiness turned to outrage.

The Lucas County board of commissioners unanimously extended from Dec. 31 to March 1 a moratorium preventing the dog warden from killing dogs up to 3 months old, but “pit bull” puppies will not get the same protection.[...]

Full article retrieved 12/23/09 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091222/NEWS16/912220379/0/BUSINESS01

Posted in BSL Passed, Ohio

Lucas County, OH: County to stop killing “pit bull” puppies

StopBSL — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:33:27 +0000

Identification of a “pit bull” is difficult enough; identification of a “pit bull” puppy is even more so. Dog warden Tom Skeldon apparently had no set criteria to identify “pit bulls,” as he could not produce this criteria when requested to do so by the Dog Warden Advisory Committee.

Previous alerts for Lucas County: http://stopbsl.com/?s=lucas+county

Lucas County orders end to puppy euthanasia

Dog warden’s TV remarks draw ire

By TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER
Article published November 25, 2009

The Lucas County commissioners voted yesterday to prohibit Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon from killing puppies at least through 3 months of age, including, for the first time in years, “pit bull” puppies.

[...] The advisory committee specifically included “pit bulls” in the moratorium for two reasons – because no 3-month-old puppy of any breed would be a threat to people and because it is too difficult to determine that such a young dog is a “pit bull.”[...]

Full article retrieved 11/26/09 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091125/NEWS16/911250344/-1/NEWS04

Posted in Breed Identification, Ohio, Results of BSL

Lucas County, OH: Dog warden Tom Skeldon resigns

StopBSL — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:36:08 +0000

Lucas County dog warden Tom Skeldon, who has pushed for and supported BSL not only in Ohio but across the U.S., and whose policies were very anti-animal and pro-killing, has resigned, effective January 31.

A lengthy article on Skeldon’s resignation and the next steps to fill the vacant position can be found here: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091119/NEWS16/911199999/-1/NEWS

Lucas County commissioner Ben Konop was the only county commissioner that wanted Skeldon out.

Please thank Commissioner Konop for standing up for the animals of Lucas County, and please encourage all of the commissioners to hire a new dog warden who is progressive, proactive, life-affirming, safety-conscious, and logical.

Commissioners’ Contact Info:
One Government Center, Suite 800, Toledo, OH 43604

Ben Konop
bkonop@co.lucas.oh.us
(419) 213-2155

Tina Skeldon Wozniak
(419) 213-4817
twozniak@co.lucas.oh.us

Pete Gerken
(419) 213-4084
pgerken@co.lucas.oh.us

Posted in Community Initiatives, Ohio