Post by michele5611 on Jan 31, 2014 10:33:12 GMT -5
www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25030852/aurora-could-repeal-pit-bull-ban
Colorado News
Aurora could repeal pit bull ban
By Carlos Illescas
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/31/2014 12:01:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/31/2014 12:33:48 AM MST
The city of Aurora is considering repealing its ban on pit bulls, a law that has been on the books for eight years.
The Public Safety Committee will take up the proposal at its meeting next week and could forward it to the full council for a vote. City Councilwoman Renie Peterson is sponsoring the ordinance, saying she continues to hear from people who want to see the ban go away.
And Peterson said she may finally have enough support from the full council to repeal the pit bull ban.
"It's a misunderstood breed," Peterson said. "A lot of media attention has focused on the negative."
The law has been in place since 2006, and since then the city has seen incidents involving restricted breeds virtually disappear. In 2005, there were 35 bite reports involving restricted breeds. Now the city sees a few a year.
City Councilwoman Barb Cleland, who is chairwoman of Public Safety, said she was never in favor of the ban.
"I have always been on record that we shouldn't ban any breed of dog," Cleland said.
She would instead like to beef up the city's vicious- dog ordinance by increasing fines for dog bites and attacks. She hasn't, however, formally proposed doing so.
"I don't care if it's a pit bull or another dog," Cleland said.
Peterson said repealing the ban would also bring underground pit bull owners to have their dogs licensed and vaccinated.
"The focus should be on responsible ownership and reckless owners," she said.
Aurora's pit bull ban has not been without controversy. Several people sued the city over its ban, but a judge in August threw out those lawsuits because the city had already adjusted the pit bull law to allow them as service dogs.
Aurora initially had prohibited a total of 10 breeds in the city, but three years ago trimmed the list to pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers — all considered pit bulls. But those three were still allowed as service dogs.
In all, there are about 90 of the restricted breeds now in the city.
Those include service dogs and also pit bulls that were grandfathered in whose owners got the dogs licensed and met certain restrictions, such as keeping them in a fenced yard when outside and muzzling them during walks in public.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp
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Colorado News
Aurora could repeal pit bull ban
By Carlos Illescas
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/31/2014 12:01:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/31/2014 12:33:48 AM MST
The city of Aurora is considering repealing its ban on pit bulls, a law that has been on the books for eight years.
The Public Safety Committee will take up the proposal at its meeting next week and could forward it to the full council for a vote. City Councilwoman Renie Peterson is sponsoring the ordinance, saying she continues to hear from people who want to see the ban go away.
And Peterson said she may finally have enough support from the full council to repeal the pit bull ban.
"It's a misunderstood breed," Peterson said. "A lot of media attention has focused on the negative."
The law has been in place since 2006, and since then the city has seen incidents involving restricted breeds virtually disappear. In 2005, there were 35 bite reports involving restricted breeds. Now the city sees a few a year.
City Councilwoman Barb Cleland, who is chairwoman of Public Safety, said she was never in favor of the ban.
"I have always been on record that we shouldn't ban any breed of dog," Cleland said.
She would instead like to beef up the city's vicious- dog ordinance by increasing fines for dog bites and attacks. She hasn't, however, formally proposed doing so.
"I don't care if it's a pit bull or another dog," Cleland said.
Peterson said repealing the ban would also bring underground pit bull owners to have their dogs licensed and vaccinated.
"The focus should be on responsible ownership and reckless owners," she said.
Aurora's pit bull ban has not been without controversy. Several people sued the city over its ban, but a judge in August threw out those lawsuits because the city had already adjusted the pit bull law to allow them as service dogs.
Aurora initially had prohibited a total of 10 breeds in the city, but three years ago trimmed the list to pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers — all considered pit bulls. But those three were still allowed as service dogs.
In all, there are about 90 of the restricted breeds now in the city.
Those include service dogs and also pit bulls that were grandfathered in whose owners got the dogs licensed and met certain restrictions, such as keeping them in a fenced yard when outside and muzzling them during walks in public.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp
Read more: Aurora could repeal pit bull ban - The Denver Post www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25030852/aurora-could-repeal-pit-bull-ban#ixzz2rzTrYDpM
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
Follow us: @denverpost on Twitter | Denverpost on Facebook
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