Post by RealPitBull on Apr 23, 2009 9:46:38 GMT -5
Does Mansfield's ban on pit bulls work?
BY TERI BERG
News Journal
MANSFIELD — The pit bull that mauled 4-year-old Gabe Cooper on April 10 was euthanized Monday.
The 2-year-old male pit bull and a female, both owned by Mansfield resident Erin Fields, were kept under quarantine at the Richland County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center for 10 days after the attack. Dog warden Dave Jordan said the female, Riley, likely would go to a rescue group.
Are pit bulls inherently vicious? Is there something in the DNA of the various breeds associated with the dog that makes it more ban-worthy than, say, Rottweilers, Chow Chows or Akitas?
It depends on who you ask.
The larger question for Mansfield, in the aftermath of several recent dog attacks, is whether the city’s 21-year-old ban on pit bulls has any teeth.
Jordan doesn’t think so.
“Mansfield’s law doesn’t really stand up,” Jordan said. “We try to enforce the ban. All I can do is do my job — and that’s to protect people and property under state and municipal law.”
County dog warden since June 2004, Jordan takes his view from the streets.
“There’s definitely a problem with pit bulls in city limits — we bring them in on a daily basis,” Jordan said.
In his experience, what makes the breed especially ban-worthy is its strength.
“Pit bulls can be wonderful dogs; however, when they bite, it’s always significant because of their strength,” he said. “Other breeds, we get more bite reports. When they (other dogs) bite, it’s certainly not a big deal.”
Lucas County’s dog warden Tom Skeldon suggests the breed’s gameness is what sets it apart.
Advocates may think pit bulls are nice, sweet animals. “And some of them are,” Skeldon acknowledged.
“But by the time they get to be 11⁄2, 2 years old, they’re pretty intent on what they were bred to do — and that’s to grab ahold of things and shake it until it’s dead.”
The pit bull is any dog with elements of the American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Historically, various mixes of these dogs were bred for fighting, thus the generic name pit bull.
Those who keep pit bulls as pets argue any dog can be vicious. So says Ohio Rep. Barbara Sears, who says dogs should be judged on their behavior, not their breed.
“Just because a breed is commonly considered vicious does not make every such dog vicious,” said the Lucas County Republican, sponsor of a bill before the Ohio General Assembly that would remove breed-specific language from the state’s dog laws.
Jordan said the recent attack on Gabe Cooper and his mother, Allison Cooper, didn’t have to happen.
“When we issue a summons, and then it gets reduced or dismissed ...,” he trailed off in exasperation. “If the judicial side put some teeth into it, maybe people would think twice before bringing the dogs into city limits.”
City Law Director Dave Remy disputed the notion that all violators have charges reduced or dropped, noting that penalties vary depending on circumstances.
“There’s room for discussion about an enhancement penalty for attacks above and beyond just having the dogs,” he said, “but I doubt that making penalties stiffer would teach people.”Additional Facts Top 'Blacklisted' Dog Breeds
According to the Insurance Information Institute, liability claims have increased from $250 million in 1996 to $356 million in 2007.
The average cost of dog bite claims grew from 2006 to 2007 by 11.5 percent, to $24,511.
Because of the high cost of dog bite liability claims, some insurance companies have blacklisted certain breeds and refuse to provide homeowners insurance to those who own them.
Top “blacklisted” dog breeds: Pit Bulls, Alaskan Malamutes, Rottweilers, Akitas, Chow Chows, American Staffordshire Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Siberian Huskies, Wolf-hybrids, Presa Canarios. And any dog that has any of the above breeds in its lineage.
Source: Insurance Information Institute and DogBiteLegalCenter. com
www.mansfiel dnewsjournal. com/article/ 20090421/ UPDATES01/ 90421031
BY TERI BERG
News Journal
MANSFIELD — The pit bull that mauled 4-year-old Gabe Cooper on April 10 was euthanized Monday.
The 2-year-old male pit bull and a female, both owned by Mansfield resident Erin Fields, were kept under quarantine at the Richland County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center for 10 days after the attack. Dog warden Dave Jordan said the female, Riley, likely would go to a rescue group.
Are pit bulls inherently vicious? Is there something in the DNA of the various breeds associated with the dog that makes it more ban-worthy than, say, Rottweilers, Chow Chows or Akitas?
It depends on who you ask.
The larger question for Mansfield, in the aftermath of several recent dog attacks, is whether the city’s 21-year-old ban on pit bulls has any teeth.
Jordan doesn’t think so.
“Mansfield’s law doesn’t really stand up,” Jordan said. “We try to enforce the ban. All I can do is do my job — and that’s to protect people and property under state and municipal law.”
County dog warden since June 2004, Jordan takes his view from the streets.
“There’s definitely a problem with pit bulls in city limits — we bring them in on a daily basis,” Jordan said.
In his experience, what makes the breed especially ban-worthy is its strength.
“Pit bulls can be wonderful dogs; however, when they bite, it’s always significant because of their strength,” he said. “Other breeds, we get more bite reports. When they (other dogs) bite, it’s certainly not a big deal.”
Lucas County’s dog warden Tom Skeldon suggests the breed’s gameness is what sets it apart.
Advocates may think pit bulls are nice, sweet animals. “And some of them are,” Skeldon acknowledged.
“But by the time they get to be 11⁄2, 2 years old, they’re pretty intent on what they were bred to do — and that’s to grab ahold of things and shake it until it’s dead.”
The pit bull is any dog with elements of the American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Historically, various mixes of these dogs were bred for fighting, thus the generic name pit bull.
Those who keep pit bulls as pets argue any dog can be vicious. So says Ohio Rep. Barbara Sears, who says dogs should be judged on their behavior, not their breed.
“Just because a breed is commonly considered vicious does not make every such dog vicious,” said the Lucas County Republican, sponsor of a bill before the Ohio General Assembly that would remove breed-specific language from the state’s dog laws.
Jordan said the recent attack on Gabe Cooper and his mother, Allison Cooper, didn’t have to happen.
“When we issue a summons, and then it gets reduced or dismissed ...,” he trailed off in exasperation. “If the judicial side put some teeth into it, maybe people would think twice before bringing the dogs into city limits.”
City Law Director Dave Remy disputed the notion that all violators have charges reduced or dropped, noting that penalties vary depending on circumstances.
“There’s room for discussion about an enhancement penalty for attacks above and beyond just having the dogs,” he said, “but I doubt that making penalties stiffer would teach people.”Additional Facts Top 'Blacklisted' Dog Breeds
According to the Insurance Information Institute, liability claims have increased from $250 million in 1996 to $356 million in 2007.
The average cost of dog bite claims grew from 2006 to 2007 by 11.5 percent, to $24,511.
Because of the high cost of dog bite liability claims, some insurance companies have blacklisted certain breeds and refuse to provide homeowners insurance to those who own them.
Top “blacklisted” dog breeds: Pit Bulls, Alaskan Malamutes, Rottweilers, Akitas, Chow Chows, American Staffordshire Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Siberian Huskies, Wolf-hybrids, Presa Canarios. And any dog that has any of the above breeds in its lineage.
Source: Insurance Information Institute and DogBiteLegalCenter. com
www.mansfiel dnewsjournal. com/article/ 20090421/ UPDATES01/ 90421031
I look forward to learning much here