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City votes in favor of pit bull ordinance
By Mitch Hotts, Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Mount Clemens City Commission voted 5-2 Monday night in favor of a dangerous animal ordinance that singles out pit bulls for additional regulation, including requirements for a 6-foot capped kennel and a muzzle when outdoors.
Opponents of the breed-specific law were critical of the details, arguing the ordinance is unfair to pit bull owners and will be difficult to enforce.
Supporters included a number of homeowners on Gallup Street who initiated a petition drive last spring asking the city to provide extra tools to combat pit bulls running loose in their neighborhood.
“We feel this is a step in the right direction,†said Karl Fielden, who along with his wife, Tammy, joined with neighbors to collect signatures asking city commissions for assistance.
Mayor Barb Dempsey along with commissioners Karan Bates-Gasior, Ron Campbell, Matt Dreger and Jack Johns voted in favor of the ordinance, while commissioners Gerald
Cottrell and Lois Hill opposed it.
“What we’re doing here is pitting neighbor against neighbor,†Cottrell said.
But Dreger pointed out the ordinance includes all dogs — or other animals — that are deemed dangerous to the public. A dangerous animal is defined by the ordinance as one that has the propensity to attack without provocation based on police reports and court records.
Thirty-five people spoke during the commission’s public comment section of Monday’s meeting with 24 opposed to the breed-specific law that automatically categorizes pit bulls as dangerous animals.
Dr. Dan Marshall, a Mount Clemens veterinarian, urged commissioners not to single out pit bulls because of discrepancies in identifying exactly what constitutes the breed. “This will create you more headaches,†he said.
Other residents said they felt it was unfair for the city to add extra regulations on pit bull owners. Some said there are a number of issues that need to be addressed in Mount Clemens such as blight, crime and declining property values.
“You guys are barking up the wrong tree,†said Mark Wojnarski of Mount Clemens.
Not true, according to Sara Brown, a longtime city resident. She said many local homeowners don’t feel safe on their own property due to roaming pit bulls, some of which reportedly can jump over fences.
“It’s an indisputable fact in Mount Clemens that pit bulls have become the bully pet of choice,†Brown said.
In addition to having their dogs licensed, pit bull owners would also have to register their animal with the city clerk’s office with information on the owner’s name and report the birth of offspring to a registered pit bull.
Owners will also have to place a sign on their home warning the public: “Dog on premises.â€
Violators will face up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.
Link to passed ordinance: http://www.cityofmountclemens.com/documents/DangerousAnimalsversionA.pdf
City votes in favor of pit bull ordinance - The Macomb Daily Online: Breaking news coverage for Macomb County, Michigan
By Mitch Hotts, Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Mount Clemens City Commission voted 5-2 Monday night in favor of a dangerous animal ordinance that singles out pit bulls for additional regulation, including requirements for a 6-foot capped kennel and a muzzle when outdoors.
Opponents of the breed-specific law were critical of the details, arguing the ordinance is unfair to pit bull owners and will be difficult to enforce.
Supporters included a number of homeowners on Gallup Street who initiated a petition drive last spring asking the city to provide extra tools to combat pit bulls running loose in their neighborhood.
“We feel this is a step in the right direction,†said Karl Fielden, who along with his wife, Tammy, joined with neighbors to collect signatures asking city commissions for assistance.
Mayor Barb Dempsey along with commissioners Karan Bates-Gasior, Ron Campbell, Matt Dreger and Jack Johns voted in favor of the ordinance, while commissioners Gerald
Cottrell and Lois Hill opposed it.
“What we’re doing here is pitting neighbor against neighbor,†Cottrell said.
But Dreger pointed out the ordinance includes all dogs — or other animals — that are deemed dangerous to the public. A dangerous animal is defined by the ordinance as one that has the propensity to attack without provocation based on police reports and court records.
Thirty-five people spoke during the commission’s public comment section of Monday’s meeting with 24 opposed to the breed-specific law that automatically categorizes pit bulls as dangerous animals.
Dr. Dan Marshall, a Mount Clemens veterinarian, urged commissioners not to single out pit bulls because of discrepancies in identifying exactly what constitutes the breed. “This will create you more headaches,†he said.
Other residents said they felt it was unfair for the city to add extra regulations on pit bull owners. Some said there are a number of issues that need to be addressed in Mount Clemens such as blight, crime and declining property values.
“You guys are barking up the wrong tree,†said Mark Wojnarski of Mount Clemens.
Not true, according to Sara Brown, a longtime city resident. She said many local homeowners don’t feel safe on their own property due to roaming pit bulls, some of which reportedly can jump over fences.
“It’s an indisputable fact in Mount Clemens that pit bulls have become the bully pet of choice,†Brown said.
In addition to having their dogs licensed, pit bull owners would also have to register their animal with the city clerk’s office with information on the owner’s name and report the birth of offspring to a registered pit bull.
Owners will also have to place a sign on their home warning the public: “Dog on premises.â€
Violators will face up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.
Link to passed ordinance: http://www.cityofmountclemens.com/documents/DangerousAnimalsversionA.pdf
City votes in favor of pit bull ordinance - The Macomb Daily Online: Breaking news coverage for Macomb County, Michigan