Category Archives: Delaware

Wilmington DE – Residents Want Pit Bull Legislation Changed

Posted on October 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Wilmington DE – Residents Want Pit Bull Legislation Changed
UPDATE FROM:
We had a great evening at Wilmington City Council. 3 people spoke in support of repealing the BSL and zero in opposition (even after the news paper called for opposition to come voice their side). We also had 4 supporters in the audience. We provided every council member with a letter including all of the information f

rom our END BSL tab on our website. There will be a new proposition drafted in the coming week and we will let you know when it will be brought forth for a reading/vote. We will need everyone to come out to support it! We are on the brink of change and we need everyone’s involvement. For more information, check out our website or email Amanda@pitbullsoldiers.com. The next meeting is November 1. Please mark your calendars and come out to support the innocent. Thank you to everyone who attended today’s meeting and to everyone who supports us in this fight. -A

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Twelve years ago Wilmington DE passed an ordinance with strict regulations for any dog deemed a ‘pit bull’.  Owners of such dogs were required to register their dogs, muzzle them while in public parks and keep them on a leash no longer than 6 feet.  Their ordinance also required a person to be at least 21 years old in order to accompany the dog and all pit bulls would be spayed or neutered.

But four months ago resident Amanda Rodriquez started asking for change.

And every  month since then, Ms. Rodriquez has addressed the Wilmington City Council with the same request…Support legislation eliminating its strict laws governing pit bull ownership.

Council hasn’t been so eager to see change however, even though Mayor James M. Baker has introduced legislation to repeal Wilmington’s breed-specific legislation.

While some of the council members have expressed their apprehension to repeal the regulations, pointing out two recent incidents involving unlicensed dogs, others have reserved their decision requesting more information be available to review.

Councilman Michael A. Brown Sr. said “I always like to hear everybody, and apparently we haven’t heard everybody because everybody that has come up into the 30-minute public speaking period, all of them have been for it.  We haven’t heard any on them that are against it.”

Please send your POLITE, RESPECTFUL and PROFESSIONAL correspondence to officials in Wilmington, DE at:

Norman D. Griffiths
Council President
ngriffiths@wilmingtonde.gov

Charles Potter, Jr.
1st District Council Member
cpjr00@aol.com

Ernest “Trippi” Congo II
2nd District Council Member
sammycongo@aol.com

Eric D. Robinson
3rd District Council Member
3rddistrep@gmail.com

Hanifa G.N. Shabazz
4th District Council Member
hshabazz@wilmingtonde.gov

Samuel Prado
5th District Council Member
sammy_wilm@yahoo.com

Kevin F. Kelley, Sr.
6th District Council Member
President Pro Tempore
6thdistrict@comcast.net

Paul F. Ignudo, Jr.
7th District Council Member
ignudo7th@comcast.net

Tracey Thomson Schofield
8th District Council Member
traceyscho@gmail.com

Michael A. Brown, Sr.
Council Member At-Large
mabrown@wilmingtonde.gov

Charles M. “Bud” Freel
Council Member At-Large
budfreel@aol.com

Loretta Walsh
Council Member At-Large
lwalsh@wilmingtonde.gov

Justen A. Wright
Council Member At-Large
justen@justenwright.org

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Posted in BSL, Community Initiatives, Delaware, Proposal to Repeal

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Wilmington, DE update: BSL repeal needs your support

Posted on August 26, 2012 by | Comments Off on Wilmington, DE update: BSL repeal needs your support

Wilmington, DE, has been considering repeal of BSL since May. You can read the full repeal proposal here: http://www.wilmingtonde.gov/docs/1183/3688.pdf

The repeal effort has run into some opposition, but supporters of repeal plan to continue attending and speaking at council meetings. If you are local and want to get involved in the effort to repeal BSL in Wilmington, please email amanda@pitbullsoldiers.com.

You can also reignite the council’s interest in BSL repeal by attending the next council meeting and speaking in support of Proposition 3688. If you can’t make the meeting, you can email a RESPECTFUL request to council to please move forward with Proposition 3688.

The next council meeting is August 30. We do not know if this item will be on the agenda. The Council meets in Council Chambers, located on the first floor of the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 North French Street. Meetings commence at 6:30 PM with public comment at 6:00 PM. In order to participate in public comment, speakers must sign in by 5:45 PM. Speakers are called to the podium in the order in which they signed in and are allowed 3 minutes to voice their comment.

Contact information for Wilmington city officials:
Wilmington City Council, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Phone: (302) 576-2140
Fax: (302) 571-4071
Email block for cut and paste:
ngriffiths@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammycongo@aol.com; 3rddistrep@gmail.com; hshabazz@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammy_wilm@yahoo.com; 6thdistrict@comcast.net; ignudo7th@comcast.net; smartelli2008@yahoo.com; mabrown@WilmingtonDE.gov; budfreel@aol.com; lwalsh@WilmingtonDE.gov; justen@justenwright.org

All alerts for Wilmington: https://stopbsl.org/?s=wilmington

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Posted in Delaware, Proposal to Repeal

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Wilmington, DE: BSL repeal needs your support

Posted on August 19, 2012 by | 1 comment

Wilmington, DE, has been considering repeal of BSL since May. You can read the full repeal proposal here: http://www.wilmingtonde.gov/docs/1183/3688.pdf

Unfortunately, the repeal proposal hasn’t moved or been discussed by council since June.

Please reignite the council’s interest in BSL repeal by attending the next council meeting and speaking in support of Proposition 3688. If you can’t make the meeting, you can email a RESPECTFUL request to council to please move forward with Proposition 3688.

The next council meeting is August 23. We do not know if this item will be on the agenda. The Council meets in Council Chambers, located on the first floor of the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 North French Street. Meetings commence at 6:30 PM with public comment at 6:00 PM. In order to participate in public comment, speakers must sign in by 5:45 PM. Speakers are called to the podium in the order in which they signed in and are allowed 3 minutes to voice their comment.

Contact information for Wilmington city officials:
Wilmington City Council, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Phone: (302) 576-2140
Fax: (302) 571-4071
Email block for cut and paste:
ngriffiths@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammycongo@aol.com; 3rddistrep@gmail.com; hshabazz@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammy_wilm@yahoo.com; 6thdistrict@comcast.net; ignudo7th@comcast.net; smartelli2008@yahoo.com; mabrown@WilmingtonDE.gov; budfreel@aol.com; lwalsh@WilmingtonDE.gov; justen@justenwright.org

All alerts for Wilmington: https://stopbsl.org/?s=wilmington

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Posted in Delaware, Proposal to Repeal

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East Coast bike relay event to protest BSL, Aug 29–Sept 2

Posted on July 15, 2012 by | 2 comments

Bless the Bullys Pit Bull Rescue & Education and Southern Ontario Animal Rescue (SOAR) invite you to take part in a unique effort to bring awareness to breed specific legislation, rescue, and responsible dog ownership.

“Bikers and Bullys Without Borders” is a bike ride from Miami, Florida to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is an effort to demonstrate a united stance against BSL. Just as BSL has no borders, the effort to stop it knows no borders, as well.

The ride is taking place from August 29 to September 2, 2012. It starts in Miami, FL and goes up the east coast finishing in Toronto, Canada.

We are dedicating the ride to Lennox and the Barnes family, the people who loved and fought to save his life. After a two year battle, Lennox was killed last week by the Belfast, Ireland council simply because he looked like a “pit bull.” We are having a stuffed Lennox made, and along each stop on the route, he will be handed off to the next group of riders, along with any notes of condolence and support to the Barnes family. After the ride, both the stuffed Lennox and all the cards and letters will be sent to the Barnes family to show that although we are separated by thousands of miles, we stand united with them in their fight, and we all mourn the death of an innocent animal.

You don’t need to be part of an animal welfare organization to take part in the ride…you only need to have a desire to see BSL come to an end so that no dog and no family ever face the heartbreak and anguish of breed specific legislation again.

SOAR is organizing the troops for a vote on the Ontario pit bull ban in September, and using the bike rally as a fundraiser for their efforts to end BSL there. However, those taking parts in the states can simply use the ride to bring awareness to the fight against BSL, and to promote rescue and responsible dog ownership.

We need every leg of the ride filled – even if its just one bike – so that Lennox and our messages to the family can make it to Canada. Please consider taking part in this very special event, and share this with your friends and bike clubs who may be interested in taking part. Just like the effort to stop BSL, we really need YOU to make this happen!

More information on the ride can be found at the SOAR website, or you can contact me at jodi@blessthebullys.com. The route for the ride can be found here.

2 Comments

Posted in Canada, Community Initiatives, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia

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Wilmington, DE: BSL repeal moves to committee

Posted on July 1, 2012 by | 1 comment

The proposal to repeal BSL had a first and second reading on June 21 and was moved to the Housing and Licenses & Inspections Committee for further consideration. You can read the full repeal proposal here: http://www.wilmingtonde.gov/docs/1183/3688.pdf

The next council meeting is July 5. We do not know if this item will be on the agenda. The Council meets on the first and third Thursday of each month in Council Chambers, located on the first floor of the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 North French Street. Meetings commence at 6:30 PM with public comment at 6:00 PM. In order to participate in public comment, speakers must sign in by 5:45 PM. Speakers are called to the podium in the order in which they signed in and are allowed 3 minutes to voice their comment.

Residents and locals, please respectfully and enthusiastically show your support for BSL repeal in Wilmington.

The following councilmembers are part of the committee:
HOUSING AND LICENSES & INSPECTIONS
hshabazz@WilmingtonDE.gov; justen@justenwright.org; budfreel@aol.com; 3rddistrep@gmail.com; mabrown@WilmingtonDE.gov

Contact information for Wilmington city officials:
Wilmington City Council, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Phone: (302) 576-2140
Fax: (302) 571-4071
Email block for cut and paste:
ngriffiths@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammycongo@aol.com; 3rddistrep@gmail.com; hshabazz@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammy_wilm@yahoo.com; 6thdistrict@comcast.net; ignudo7th@comcast.net; smartelli2008@yahoo.com; mabrown@WilmingtonDE.gov; budfreel@aol.com; lwalsh@WilmingtonDE.gov; justen@justenwright.org

All alerts for Wilmington: https://stopbsl.org/?s=wilmington

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Posted in Delaware, Proposal to Repeal

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Wilmington, DE: BSL repeal under consideration

Posted on May 2, 2012 by | Comments Off on Wilmington, DE: BSL repeal under consideration

Residents and locals, please respectfully and enthusiastically show your support for the mayor’s plan to start the BSL repeal process in Wilmington.

Contact information for Wilmington city officials:
Wilmington City Council, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Phone: (302) 576-2140
Fax: (302) 571-4071
Email block for cut and paste:
ngriffiths@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammycongo@aol.com; 3rddistrep@gmail.com; hshabazz@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammy_wilm@yahoo.com; 6thdistrict@comcast.net; ignudo7th@comcast.net; smartelli2008@yahoo.com; mabrown@WilmingtonDE.gov; budfreel@aol.com; lwalsh@WilmingtonDE.gov; justen@justenwright.org

Wilmington’s search for animal control vendor continues

May 2, 2012
By Shirley Min

[…] As a result of these discussions, Baker says several key issues have surfaced that might inhibit the city’s chances of finding a [animal control] vendor, the biggest being Wilmington’s breed specific pit bull laws. Wilmington requires registration of pit bulls or pit bull mixes, in addition to licensing the dog, while placing additional requirements on pit bull owners. […]

Mayor Baker says he will ask city council to amend its law to leave the city’s restrictions and requirements on all dog breeds in place, but repeal the breed specific pit bull rules adopted 12 years ago when pit bull fighting was more prevalent.

“We will continue to hold pet owners accountable for their pets’ behaviors, and will hold irresponsible owners accountable,” said Mayor Baker. “However, we can place the city in a better position now by eliminating the extra layer of regulation that we place on pit bulls.” […]

Full article retrieved 5/2/12 from http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/37864

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Posted in Delaware, Proposal to Repeal

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Wilmington, DE: City cracks down on BSL lawbreakers

Posted on November 2, 2011 by | Comments Off on Wilmington, DE: City cracks down on BSL lawbreakers

Do you know the law in your town? Wilmington provides a frightening picture of what can happen if you don’t.

Wilmington cracks down on illegal pit bulls

Police, SPCA team up to stop violators of city law

12:38 AM, Oct. 30, 2011
Written by ESTEBAN PARRA, The News Journal

[…] So far, police — who have teamed with animal control from the Delaware Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for 64 hours since Sept. 15 — have seized 39 pit bulls. Most of the seizures occurred because officers saw people walking dogs that were not muzzled or on a leash as required by the law. […]

Full article retrieved 10/31/11 from http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20111030/NEWS01/110300326/Wilmington-cracks-down-illegal-pit-bulls

Note that, per the article, these seizures aren’t netting a bunch of loose/stray dogs or truly dangerous dogs. They are seizing pets.

Wilmington’s breed-specific law can be read here: http://library.municode.com/HTML/11715/level3/PTIIWICO_CH3AN_ARTIINGE.html#TOPTITLE
Section 3-1 defines “pit bulls.” Section 3-16 explains the restrictions (special registration, dog must be altered, must be walked on specific leash, must wear muzzle in public, owner must own home or have written permission from landlord, etc.).

Want to voice your opposition to the seizures and/or to the breed-discriminatory law?

The Council next meets on November 3 in Council Chambers, located on the first floor of the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 North French Street. Meetings commence at 6:30 PM with public comment at 6:00 PM. In order to participate in public comment, speakers must sign in by 5:45 PM. Speakers are called to the podium in the order in which they signed in and are allowed 3 minutes to voice their comment.

Or, contact the city council here:
Wilmington City Council, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Phone: (302) 576-2140
Fax: (302) 571-4071
http://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/councilmembers
Email block for cut-and-paste
ngriffiths@WilmingtonDE.gov; cpjr00@aol.com; sammycongo@aol.com; 3rddistrep@gmail.com; hshabazz@WilmingtonDE.gov; sammy_wilm@yahoo.com; 6thdistrict@comcast.net; ignudo7th@comcast.net; smartelli2008@yahoo.com; mabrown@WilmingtonDE.gov; budfreel@aol.com; lwalsh@WilmingtonDE.gov; justen@justenwright.org

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Posted in Delaware, Results of BSL

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