BSL Alert...Ohio Bulldoggers!

BSL Alert Lorain, Ohio
Residents bark over city regulations for pit bulls
KATE GIAMMARISE, Morning Journal Writer
10/23/2007
LORAIN -- A council committee meeting last evening almost turned into a real dog fight. The topic -- legislation that could regulate pit bulls in the city of Lorain.

The city's Animal Control Officer, Michael Mattei, gave an impassioned presentation to council members at the Police and Fire Committee meeting on the need for regulation of the dogs.

'We need this ordinance to protect our citizens,'' Mattei said.

Disagreeing were about half a dozen audience members who spoke against what they termed ''breed-specific legislation'' that they said unfairly singled out pit bulls.

The legislation, while not an outright ban on the dogs, would:

-- label pit bulls ''vicious dogs''

-- limit ownership of pit bulls to one per household, though residents who already have more than one pit bull would be allowed to keep all their dogs under a grandfather clause

-- require the dogs to be spayed or neutered

-- mandate owners confine the dog while it is on their property and keep it on a leash when it is not on their property

Mattei and Lorain Director of Environmental Health Jack Kurowski helped Law Director Mark Provenza author the legislation, Mattei said.

Many in the audience said they were not convinced the legislation would work.

One dog owner said she was concerned if the law were passed and her dog were labeled as ''vicious,'' she could lose her homeowners' insurance.

Shana Klein, president and founder of Canine Advocates of Ohio and For the Love of Pits, said owners are ultimately the ones responsible for properly caring for their dogs.

''These (breed specific) laws are ineffective,'' Klein said.

Another man said not all pit bulls are dangerous.

''The only fighting issue I have with my dog is for the comforter at night,'' he said, and invited council members to come to the parking lot and meet his two pit bulls.

Still, many council members said even if the legislation were modified, some type of regulation would be needed, particularly in the wake of the mauling of a 7-year-old girl by a pit bull in May.

Council members voted unanimously to put the legislation on hold to review articles, studies and other information provided by both sides.
http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18945216&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6
Lorain Council still working on pit bull law
Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram
LORAIN — Lorain City Council’s Police and Fire Committee still wants to iron out some issues with a proposed pit bull ordinance before sending a recommendation to Council.
Mike Mattei, the city’s animal control officer, told the committee that pit bulls are becoming more of a problem every day and pulled out numbers to support the ordinance.
Of the 146 pit bulls he’s picked up since his first day on the job in January, he said, 85 percent were euthanized because no owner came forward to claim them.
Mattei said pit bulls were to blame for 60 of the 305 dog bites reported throughout the city last year, and went on to show the committee a picture of the injuries sustained by a 7-year-old girl after she was mauled in May.
“It’s a dog that’s inflicted bad damage and practically removed the face of a girl seven months ago,” he said.
The ordinance would establish the pit bull as a vicious breed and requires owners to properly confine pit bulls, in addition to limiting owners to one pit bull per household or residence.
Each pit bull will have to be registered with the city, according to the proposed ordinance, and proof that the dog has been spayed or neutered also will be required.
Should owners violate the restrictions, they will be fined between $25 and $100 for the first offense. Each subsequent offense will result in a fine of at least $75 and can grow to more than $250 and include a 30-day jail sentence.
Lorain Law Director Mark Provenza said the ordinance would allow owners with multiple pit bulls prior to the ordinance to be grandfathered in and be exempt from the new law.
Shana Klein, President of Canine Advocates of Ohio, told the committee that breed specific legislation doesn’t work, and whipped out her own facts about dog attacks.
“There hasn’t been a fatal pit bull attack in 15 years,” she said. “There are 40 breeds of dogs that have severely mauled people.”
The committee requested more time to review the ordinance, and will meet again on the topic next month.
Contact Stephen Szucs at (440) 336-4016 or online at sszucs@chroniclet.com
http://www.chroniclet.com/2007/10/23/lorain-council-still-working-on-pit-bull-law/

(continued)

 

Ken Shawver
Council President
Kenneth_Shawver@cityofLorain.org
5220 Clovelly Dr. (44053)
(H) 282-9463
Kathy L. Tavenner
Council-At-Large
Kathy_Tavenner@CityofLorain.org
2712 W. 37 St. (44053)
(H) 282-7189
Daniel Given
Council-At-Large
dgiven@osterhomes.com
4865 Eagles Nest Drive (44053)
(H) 440-282-6200
Anthony Krasienko
Council-At-Large
Anthony_Krasienko@cityofLorain.org
1327 W. 25th St. (44052)
(H) 440-960-1989
David Wargo
1st Ward
David_Wargo@CityofLorain.org
1641 Root Rd. (44052)
(H) 440-288-8302
Philip J. Betleski
2nd Ward
Phillip_Betleski@cityoflorain.org
1723 E. Erie Ave. (44052)
(H) 440-288-9396
David Escobar
3rd Ward
David_Escobar@CityofLorain.org
930 W. 30th St. (44052)
(H) 440-653-6845
Bret Schuster
4th Ward
Bret_Schuster@cityofLorain.org
3847 Amherst Ave. (44052)
(H) 440-246-6852
Eddie C. Edwards
5th Ward
Eddie_Edwards@CityofLorain.org
3571 Clinton Ave. (44055)
(H) 440-233-5535
Greg Holcomb
6th Ward
Gregory_Holcomb@cityofLorain.org
3922 Yale Drive
(H) 440-277-6268
Myroslaw "Mickey" Silecky
7th Ward
Myroslaw_Silecky@CityofLorain.org
2215 W. Erie Ave.
(H) 440-244-4201
Craig Snodgrass
8th Ward
Craig_Snodgrass@CityofLorain.org
6323 Oak Point Estates (44053)
(H) 440-960-0229

Nancy Greer
Clerk
Nancy_Greer@CityofLorain.org
(W) 204-2050
Fax 246-2537
Lorain Animal Control
440-322-4321

Quick Email List
Kenneth_Shawver@cityofLorain.org, Kathy_Tavenner@CityofLorain.org, dgiven@osterhomes.com, Anthony_Krasienko@cityofLorain.org, David_Wargo@CityofLorain.org, Phillip_Betleski@cityoflorain.org, David_Escobar@CityofLorain.org, Bret_Schuster@cityofLorain.org, Eddie_Edwards@CityofLorain.org, Gregory_Holcomb@cityofLorain.org, Myroslaw_Silecky@CityofLorain.org, Craig_Snodgrass@CityofLorain.org, Nancy_Greer@CityofLorain.org


Please respond, and cross post as widely as possibly

 

Seems to me ohio is the worst place for us to be with our dogs. And one man is responsible for it all. I cant wait to get out of ohio!

 

since our genius supreme court said BSL is constitutional as "it's up to each city to help protect our citizens," and in the wake of the MV case and the busts in Dayton/Cincinnatti last year, it's only a matter of time before it trickles into every town in OH.

Unless, that is, the US Supreme Court decides otherwise, which is where they're taking the case next.....who knows how long it'll be before they hear it and decide, though.

Where I live, Miami County has no BSL (yet), just you have to keep your dog properly contained and have 100k liability on your homeowner's for each "vicious" dog, but that includes rottites, chows, dobies, GSDs, APBT, staffordshire terriers, etc. But that's statewide, and it's up to each municipality to decide whether or not to regulate ownership of any specific breed.

The city I live in has it on it's agenda next month to discuss possible BSL.

:mad:

kinda holdin me off on building my yard right now, which sucks, because I have some opputunities to get some well bred animals right now. I got 300k liability on my homeowner's ins., but I'm afraid something might happen w/ BSL in my area once I have more than one APBT.

 

I know how ya feel Kergin. I was JUST getting some nicely bred dogs and then as soon as that court case went through my city passed BSL I was given 30 days to get rid of the dogs or turn them in for euth Stupid me I vaccinated them and properly licensed them so therefore they already knew I had them. They went to everyones houses that vaccinated and licensed. All my friends got visits. Stupid us followed the rules and basically in the end "handed" them our dogs. One of mine went back to the breeder, one went to a friend of mine outside the state, the rest I put down myself.

 

You should have called me i would have taken sadina back .no questions asked

 

She's the one that went to my friend.