Post by RealPitBull on Apr 8, 2008 7:46:19 GMT -5
Haverhill councilor: Dog rules should target behavior, not breed
By Shawn Regan
Staff Writer
HAVERHILL — Some pit bulls, like the one that bit Kathleen McCorry-Moge last week, might be bad dogs.
But there also are plenty of good pit bulls, like the "sweet" one owned by City Councilor William Macek's cousin, he said.
Yet the breed, formally called an American Staffordshire terrier or an American pit bull terrier, is the only one singled out in city laws as requiring a muzzle and leash when off its owner's property.
In response to the April 1 pit bull attack on McCorry-Moge, Macek is pushing for tougher penalties on people whose dogs attack people. But he's not just going after pit bulls. He wants the council to review existing dog ordinances to make sure they target dogs that exhibit dangerous behaviors, rather than specific breeds.
Among his concerns, Macek said an ordinance that targets specific breeds may not pass legal muster due to recent court decisions that favor dog owners who claim their dogs are not of a particular breed.
"Before our ordinance (targeted) pit bulls, it was Doberman pinschers and German shepherds," Macek said, adding that a representative of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently told him more people are bitten by Chihuahuas than pit bulls.
At Macek's request, the City Council is taking up its dangerous dogs ordinance at its meeting tonight at 7 in City Hall. He will ask that the matter be referred to a study committee to develop better rules for dangerous dogs.
Owners who violate the city's ordinance that pit bulls be leashed and muzzled can be fined $100 for the first offense and up to $300 for subsequent offenses. The city has had several pit bull attacks in the last several years, including one instance where an owner was bitten by her dog in their home.
Macek said he is working with a representative of the MSPCA and City Solicitor William Cox Jr. to develop an ordinance that is fair, legal and tough on owners of vicious dogs. Stricter enforcement of fines, as well as increasing them, are among the possibilities, he said.
McCorry-Moge, 45, the owner of Kathy's Pet Care in Haverhill, was attacked while she walked a dog named Jack in the area of Powder House Avenue. She was treated for puncture wounds to her chest and arms after the attack.
Last week, Haverhill police Capt. Michael Wrenn said the pit bull that attacked McCorry-Moge was being quarantined for 10 days, and that tests were being performed to determine if the dog is up to date on its shots. He also said a decision on fining the owner had not yet been reached. Wrenn could not be reached yesterday for an update.
Police said the pit bull's owner is Michael Termini of 97 Powder House Ave. His street is near Nettle Middle School, in the city's Riverside area.
Haverhill's pit bull law
r Must be muzzled and leashed if it is off the owner's property.
r If in the owner's yard, must be kept in a penned-in area a minimum of 20 feet from the front boundary line.
r A $100 fine for an owner who violates the law the first time.
r A $300 fine for each subsequent offense.
By Shawn Regan
Staff Writer
HAVERHILL — Some pit bulls, like the one that bit Kathleen McCorry-Moge last week, might be bad dogs.
But there also are plenty of good pit bulls, like the "sweet" one owned by City Councilor William Macek's cousin, he said.
Yet the breed, formally called an American Staffordshire terrier or an American pit bull terrier, is the only one singled out in city laws as requiring a muzzle and leash when off its owner's property.
In response to the April 1 pit bull attack on McCorry-Moge, Macek is pushing for tougher penalties on people whose dogs attack people. But he's not just going after pit bulls. He wants the council to review existing dog ordinances to make sure they target dogs that exhibit dangerous behaviors, rather than specific breeds.
Among his concerns, Macek said an ordinance that targets specific breeds may not pass legal muster due to recent court decisions that favor dog owners who claim their dogs are not of a particular breed.
"Before our ordinance (targeted) pit bulls, it was Doberman pinschers and German shepherds," Macek said, adding that a representative of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently told him more people are bitten by Chihuahuas than pit bulls.
At Macek's request, the City Council is taking up its dangerous dogs ordinance at its meeting tonight at 7 in City Hall. He will ask that the matter be referred to a study committee to develop better rules for dangerous dogs.
Owners who violate the city's ordinance that pit bulls be leashed and muzzled can be fined $100 for the first offense and up to $300 for subsequent offenses. The city has had several pit bull attacks in the last several years, including one instance where an owner was bitten by her dog in their home.
Macek said he is working with a representative of the MSPCA and City Solicitor William Cox Jr. to develop an ordinance that is fair, legal and tough on owners of vicious dogs. Stricter enforcement of fines, as well as increasing them, are among the possibilities, he said.
McCorry-Moge, 45, the owner of Kathy's Pet Care in Haverhill, was attacked while she walked a dog named Jack in the area of Powder House Avenue. She was treated for puncture wounds to her chest and arms after the attack.
Last week, Haverhill police Capt. Michael Wrenn said the pit bull that attacked McCorry-Moge was being quarantined for 10 days, and that tests were being performed to determine if the dog is up to date on its shots. He also said a decision on fining the owner had not yet been reached. Wrenn could not be reached yesterday for an update.
Police said the pit bull's owner is Michael Termini of 97 Powder House Ave. His street is near Nettle Middle School, in the city's Riverside area.
Haverhill's pit bull law
r Must be muzzled and leashed if it is off the owner's property.
r If in the owner's yard, must be kept in a penned-in area a minimum of 20 feet from the front boundary line.
r A $100 fine for an owner who violates the law the first time.
r A $300 fine for each subsequent offense.