News
Cincinnati Toughens Pit Bull Regulation
April 07, 2009, 3:45PM MT
By Cheri Moon
Seized dog died; owner suing SPCA
Seized dog died; owner suing SPCA
By Lynn Ready, Best Friends Network Volunteer
In November 2003, a pit bull ban went into effect in Cincinnati and since then, only pit bulls registered before that time were permitted to live in the city as long as their owners kept them properly confined.
City Doubles Penalty For Owning Pit Bulls
The city defines “pit bulls” as American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers or any dog that is a mixture of the breeds. Anyone who violated the ban would be considered to have committed a second degree misdemeanor and could face 90 days in jail.
Last week, City Council doubled that penalty. Except for the dogs already grandfathered in, anyone who is convicted of breeding, selling, owning, or keeping a pit bull will face up to six months in jail.
It seems that much, if not all of these new, stricter laws, are coming from the President of the Westwood Civic Association, Jim McNulty. He repeatedly went to the council asking for stiffer penalties and stricter enforcement of the pit bull ban.
Families Forced to Move
Ozzie Foreman and her husband Scott are all too familiar with the ban as their pit bull, registered with Therapy Dogs International, was no longer allowed to visit patients at Children’s Hospital and nursing homes throughout the city because of the ban. They have since moved out of Cincinnati to Clermont County, where their dogs are allowed. They have also gotten another American Staffordshire terrier, Kitty, also commended by Therapy Dogs International.
Dog Seized, Dies in Local Shelter
This is the case with one Cincinnati resident, Paulette Evans, 53, whose dog was seized after a neighbor reported it to the authorities. Paulette wanted some companionship after her husband died and she adopted Rock, an American bulldog, whom she treated like her baby, even sleeping with him.
Evans pleaded that Rock was not a pit bull, but the SPCA took him away. Even though Rock had never hurt anyone, Evans was charged with harboring a vicious dog, failure to obtain insurance on a vicious dog, and failure to register a vicious dog.
Evans has a certificate from her veterinarian stating that Rock is not a breed banned in the city. Despite this, Rock died in the SPCA, reportedly because of Parvovirus. Rock, however, had been vaccinated against the disease. Evans is suing the SPCA.
Cincinnati Should Enact Dangerous Dogs/Reckless Owner Laws, not BDL
Breed Discriminatory Legislation (BDL) is extremely hard to enforce with accuracy. Since pit bulls have the same physical characteristics of 25 other breeds, the only way to determine a dog’s breed is through very expensive DNA testing. Even then, it is still not 100% accurate.
In addition, there is no evidence that BDL works. In fact, Italy recently revoked its breed ban claiming it was unscientific and ineffective.
Effective laws that regulate truly dangerous dogs include regulations that:
• Enforce stricter consequences for dog fighting.
• Encourage residents to spay/neuter their pets.
• Effectively identifies and manages truly dangerous dogs.
• Protect innocent dogs and responsible owners.
• Restrict tethering.
• Prevent reckless owners from having dogs.
Simply banning a breed will not solve any problem or reduce dog bites in a community. It’s time to put wiser measures into effect instead of discriminating and outlawing ALL pit bulls.
How You Can Help
If you are a resident of Cincinnati and would like to voice your opinion, please call or email Cincinnati council members.
• Mayor Mark Mallory
801 Plum St. Rm 150
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3250
Email: mark.mallory@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Vice Mayor David Crowley
801 Plum St. Rm 356
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-2453
Fax: (513) 352-2365
david.crowley@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Y. Laketa Cole
801 Plum St. Rm 351
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3466
Fax: (513) 352-3957
laketa.cole@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Jeff Berding
801 Plum St. Rm 350
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
• Phone: (513) 352-3283
Fax: (513) 352-3289
jeff.berding@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Chris Bortz
801 Plum St. Rm 348
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3255
Fax: (513) 3264
chris.bortz@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Greg Harris
801 Plum St. Rm 346B
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-5303
Fax: (513) 352-4657
greg.harris@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Leslie Ghiz
801 Plum St. Rm 354
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3344
Fax: (513) 352-3277
leslie.ghiz@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Chris Monzel
801 Plum St. Rm 352
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3653
Fax: (513) 352-4649
chris.monzel@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Roxanne Qualls
801 Plum St. Rm 346A
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3604
Fax: (513) 352-3621
roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov
• Cecil Thomas
801 Plum St. Rm 349
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Phone: (513) 352-3499
Fax: (513) 352-3218
cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov
For More Information
• Join the Stop BDL community for more information on how you can help put an end to breed discrimination.
• Learn more about breed bans and dog bite facts at the National Canine Research Council.
• It is often difficult for even experts to determine the breed of a dog, particularly with mixed breed dogs. Click here to see if you can “find the pit bulls.”
Photograph by Clay Myers, Best Friends Staff
Posted by Cheri Moon, Best Friends Staff