According to the Pasadena Sun, Steve Madison, City Councilman for Pasadena believes a ban on pit bulls should be considered within city limits because he says the ‘powerful and sometimes aggressive dogs pose an inherent threat to public safety.”
Steve McNall, President of the Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA says that such a law would unfairly punish responsible pit bull owners.
“It’s a discrimination issue, to take somebody’s personal property, a family member, and kill it? The last time I checked, this is the United States, not Russia.” McNall said Council would not receive his or any other animal welfare leader’s support. The Humane Society provides the city with animal control services by contract.
The push for stronger “bully-breed” regulations started five years ago when Councilwoman Margaret McAustin, representing a neighborhood where a ‘group’ of pit bulls roaming at-large bit several people, said she would support stronger laws for Pasadena.
Under the current law, animal control officers can impound dogs that attack people or display other aggressive tendencies. Officer can also fine owners that do not license their dogs.
McAustin said, “We shouldn’t let up on our efforts to control dangerous breeds, but dogs are trained to be aggressive by people who want aggressive dogs. We have to get at that behavior, the problem we really have is irresponsible owners and if we can’t regulate the dogs, we have to regulate the owners.”
Due to California state law prohibiting cities from banning any specific breed however, the likelihood of a ban is nil. Instead, officials are considering that any Pasadena pit bulls be subject to mandatory spay and neutering, an ordinance structured on the current San Francisco law. You can read more about San Francisco’s breed ID check-list in our previous “Difficulty of Breed Identification Article”.
Please send your POLITE, RESPECTFUL and INFORMATIVE correspondence to:
Mayor Bill Bogaard – bbogaard@cityofpasadena.net
Councilwoman Jacque Robinson, 1st District via Field Representative, Tina Williams – district1@cityofpasadena.net
Ph: (626) 744-4444
Fax: (626) 396-7300
Councilwoman/Vice Mayor Margaret McAustin, 2nd District – mmcaustin@cityofpasadena.net
Ph: (626) 744-4742
Councilman Chris Holden, 3rd District via Field Representative Jacueline McIntyre – (626) 744-4742
Ph: (626) 744-4738
Fax: (626) 744-4774
Councilman Gene Masauda, 4th District via Field Representative, Noreen Sullivan – nsullivan@cityofpasadena.net
Ph: (626) 744-4740
Councilman Victor M. Gordo, Esq, 5th District via Field Representative, Vannia DeLaCuba – vdelacuba@cityofpasadena.net
Ph: (626) 744-4741 or (626) 831-8609
Fax: (626) 398-1836
Councilman Steve Madison, 6th District – smadison@cityofpasadena.net
Ph: (626) 744-4739
Councilman Terry Tornek, 7th District – ttornek@cityofpasadena.net
Ph: (626) 441-4802
Fax: (626) 441-4806
You may also include correspondence to City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris by visiting the Pasadena City Attorney’s page and City Manager Michael J. Beck at the City Managers page.
Fred M. Kray
krisdiaz9
Stop BSL 