Post by michele5611 on May 31, 2013 8:06:24 GMT -5
www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/05/westwego_councilman_behind_pit.html
A Westwego City Council member's effort to stiffen the city's pit bull ordinance has led an opponent to start an online petition against the proposal. Councilman Glenn Green said the petition will have no effect on whether he moves forward with his proposal, because few of the 1,600 or so people who had signed it as of Thursday afternoon live in Westwego.
"I'm sorry," Green said. "I appreciate their input, but they're not a factor. I represent the people of District 1 -- not Metairie or New York or California."
Westwego already has an ordinance that specifies pit bulls. The City Council enacted it in 2000 in response to a fatal attack on a 2-year-old boy who was mauled by his family's pit bull in their backyard just outside the city limits.
Green sought to amend that law after three pit bulls mauled a Westwego woman in her home on March 14. Linda Henry, 54, lost an ear, an eye and the back of her scalp. Doctors later amputated both arms because of the amount of damage the dogs inflicted in the attack.
Westwego police officers shot and killed the three dogs, and a fourth one, in rescuing Henry and clearing the home. The dogs belonged to Henry's boyfriend, who said he was breeding them. One of his pit bulls had recently had puppies.
The petition was set up in recent weeks on Change.org, a website that serves as a platform for people to rally behind various causes. An associate of that website began a media blitz Thursday, alerting New Orleans-area media outlets to the petition.
It was created anonymously by someone using the moniker, "Westwego is for the Pits," who opposes breed-specific legislation and appears to favor American pit bull terriers. That's one of the breeds spelled out in Westwego's proposed ordinance. Attempts to reach the petition creator were not immediately successful.
Green introduced his proposal during the City Council's May meeting. A public hearing is set for July.
He said Thursday he still intends to move forward with the proposal He acknowledges having received about 300 emails from people, many opposing his plan.
glenn-green.jpgWestwego City Councilman Glenn Green says an online petition against his pit bull ordinance has no effect on his decision.
"People have heard about it," Green said. "A lot of them are from Metairie. I've gotten letters from out of state. Only the citizens of Westwego, only those voters of Westwego, will have any bearing at all on my decision."
Based on comments at change.org, some people think Green's proposal calls for putting pit bulls to death. Green says it calls for putting restrictions on pit bull owners.
In addition to American pit bull terriers, the proposed ordinance names American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers or "any dog displaying a majority of physical traits or genetic markers of any one or more of the above breeds."
Among the proposed restrictions, pit bull owners in Westwego must be 21 or older and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance on their homeowners or rental policy
A Westwego City Council member's effort to stiffen the city's pit bull ordinance has led an opponent to start an online petition against the proposal. Councilman Glenn Green said the petition will have no effect on whether he moves forward with his proposal, because few of the 1,600 or so people who had signed it as of Thursday afternoon live in Westwego.
"I'm sorry," Green said. "I appreciate their input, but they're not a factor. I represent the people of District 1 -- not Metairie or New York or California."
Westwego already has an ordinance that specifies pit bulls. The City Council enacted it in 2000 in response to a fatal attack on a 2-year-old boy who was mauled by his family's pit bull in their backyard just outside the city limits.
Green sought to amend that law after three pit bulls mauled a Westwego woman in her home on March 14. Linda Henry, 54, lost an ear, an eye and the back of her scalp. Doctors later amputated both arms because of the amount of damage the dogs inflicted in the attack.
Westwego police officers shot and killed the three dogs, and a fourth one, in rescuing Henry and clearing the home. The dogs belonged to Henry's boyfriend, who said he was breeding them. One of his pit bulls had recently had puppies.
The petition was set up in recent weeks on Change.org, a website that serves as a platform for people to rally behind various causes. An associate of that website began a media blitz Thursday, alerting New Orleans-area media outlets to the petition.
It was created anonymously by someone using the moniker, "Westwego is for the Pits," who opposes breed-specific legislation and appears to favor American pit bull terriers. That's one of the breeds spelled out in Westwego's proposed ordinance. Attempts to reach the petition creator were not immediately successful.
Green introduced his proposal during the City Council's May meeting. A public hearing is set for July.
He said Thursday he still intends to move forward with the proposal He acknowledges having received about 300 emails from people, many opposing his plan.
glenn-green.jpgWestwego City Councilman Glenn Green says an online petition against his pit bull ordinance has no effect on his decision.
"People have heard about it," Green said. "A lot of them are from Metairie. I've gotten letters from out of state. Only the citizens of Westwego, only those voters of Westwego, will have any bearing at all on my decision."
Based on comments at change.org, some people think Green's proposal calls for putting pit bulls to death. Green says it calls for putting restrictions on pit bull owners.
In addition to American pit bull terriers, the proposed ordinance names American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers or "any dog displaying a majority of physical traits or genetic markers of any one or more of the above breeds."
Among the proposed restrictions, pit bull owners in Westwego must be 21 or older and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance on their homeowners or rental policy
I look forward to learning much here