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Commission to talk dog ban
Published on -5/6/2009, 1:42 PM
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By KALEY LYON
Hays City Commissioners will discuss whether pit bulls should be allowed within city limits at Thursday's 5:30 p.m. work session.
The discussion follows a recent incident in which a pit bull mix attacked and killed a smaller dog.
According to police, the pit bull/mastiff mix jumped through the windows of a home in pursuit of the other dog. A 10-year-old girl was walking her Maltese and picked up the dog in an effort to save it.
The pit bull then grabbed the smaller dog out of her arms, carried it off and killed it. The child was not injured, said Lt. Don Scheibler with the Hays Police Department.
The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. April 29 on the 300 block of West 16th.
The pit bull since has been euthanized, and the owner has been cooperative in the investigation, Scheibler said, noting pit bull attacks haven't been a common problem locally.
The child's parents have contacted city commissioners about the issue, and Commissioner Henry Schwaller IV requested the item be included on Thursday's agenda.
"The girl was very traumatized," City Manager Toby Dougherty said. "The parents were traumatized."
The issue of banning certain dog breeds was discussed about five years ago. At that time, the commission adopted a dangerous and vicious dog ordinance but opted not to single out any breed, Dougherty said.
Schwaller, who was on the commission at that time, said he thinks it might be time to revisit the issue.
Several years ago, the city was just beginning animal control efforts, and Schwaller wanted to implement the program before establishing such mandates, he said.
"Given the amount of time that has passed and given what city staff is capable of doing, and I think we have everything pretty much under control, I wanted to revisit the issue of a breed ban," Schwaller said. "So we're going to come to the table to have open discussion and see where commissioners stand."
Other agenda items include:
* A proposed lease and agreement allowing North Central Kansas Technical College to use the former Army Reserve center.
* Expansion of the Hays Recreation Commission's current facility.
* Bids, design and construction work for the Smoky Hill well field expansion project.
* Annexation and final plat of Heart of America property on Commerce Parkway.
* A petition from Heart of America and Glassman Corp. to create a special benefit district for construction of Ninth Street, where the company's future headquarters will be located on Commerce Parkway.
* Professional engineering services for Vine Street improvements from 22nd to 27th Street.
* Bond funding, award of bid and engineering services for construction of an aircraft rescue and firefighting facility at Hays Regional Airport.
* Review of city commission rules of procedure and meeting times.
32 comment(s) found
dont ban them:
6/22/2009I have a pit bull; I hate the bad rep that pits get!! You always hear about the bad and not the good. Pits are a very loyal dog, you need to know how to control your pit, my pit doesn’t show any aggression towards any body or any dog, it is just on how your train them. When you hear about all the attacks that are caused from pits you have to read in between the lines, the owner of pit probably did not take proper care of the dog or it did not have enough socialization with other humans or animals, its never the dogs fault. If you stick a pit or any kind of dog with an ignorant person it’s just like saying, “it’s not the gun that killed the person it’s the idiot that pulled the trigger”. I don’t agree with people that fight pits either, its animal abuse and its not right for any dog to go through the hurt and the pain that humans put them in but even through all of that a pit is so loyal it will love you and stay right by your side, a dog cant pick its owners so why is it always the dogs fault? But remember, its irresponsible humans, not pit bulls’, who deserve our derision. You don’t blame the car when a drunk driver kills someone, and no one should blame a good dog ruined by the hands of ignorant people.
(Posted by: saundra)
friday dog attack: 5/14/2009
I was sitting in class talking to one of my other classmates, looking at his lip he has 18stiches, from what you ask? Nope not a pitbull, but the "family loving" Labrador. so hays you going to ban that type of dog now to. banning one type of dog is not going to do anything, it is just going to anger people. before coming to the conclusion of all together banning one breed, think about all the other things.. in america 440,000 people die from cigarettes, 42,366 die from automobiles, and 29,338 from guns and 3 people die from pitbulls?? which would you ban?!
(Posted by: Kelsey)
DUMB: 5/13/2009
To be honesty, this who banning thing is totally stupid. like everyone before me said its so judgmental..like i heard of a lot of stories of other dogs attacking people and killing them... and to ban a breed because of its rep is stupid. there are many more issues that hays should be dealing with other than banning a type of dog!
(Posted by: kelsey)
pit bulls: 5/8/2009
We have a lady down the street with a very mean pit bull. It is caged but it gets out often. Maybe have the dogs visited and evaluated.
(Posted by: ku)
Stupid owners: 5/8/2009
This situation is a bit odd, and it sounds like the owner had little control over it. If you know if you have an animal aggressive dog, you can't just muzzle the dog and expect it to learn why it's being muzzled. Unfortunately, a lot of the breed is animal aggressive, even though they are generally not human aggressive. Most of the people breeding them are also not trying to breed animal aggressiveness out of them which is unfortunate. These dogs need a TON of exercise in most cases and tend to receive no where near the amount the need. Because of stupid owners, who think their pitbull is fine being in doors all day, everyday, the bans are showing up all over the place. It seems that stupid people are more attracted pits, presas etc. for some reason. People denying that these dogs are any different from a golden or lab are only making the problem worse themselves. There is a reason why these dogs are used for fighting and are the best weight pullers, and it sure isn't because they are quick to jump OUT of a fight or quit.
(Posted by: Realist)
Re proposed Breed Banning: 5/8/2009
Kansas Info http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/in-your-state/kansas/ Read Pit Bull Placebo (Now online-click below book)) http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/ncrc-publications/ Info for Community Leaders http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/section.php?id=4
(Posted by: Shamus)
Pit Bulls: 5/7/2009
The City Commission should take the logical approach to this issue, instead of the emotional and uninformed approach. They should enlist the advice of professionals, such as dog handlers and veterinarians. Segregation and prejudice toward a certain breed of animal due the actions of a publicized few is unjustified and unfair. Remember The Little Rascals? Pete was a Pit Bull, and I don't think anyone would call that dog dangerous. Many other breeds, including those that are considered to be very friendly, cause just as much, or more, damage, yet no one ever talks about banning them. Bless your heart, Lindsey, you've done the right thing; this has been a tragic time for you as well.
(Posted by: Use informed logic, not emotional reactions)
: 5/7/2009
I have owned 2 pitbulls and my current pitbull is adopted. She is a great dog and has never shown aggression to anyone or anything. I don't believe banning pits or any other specific breed for that matter will solve anything. Once they ban pitbulls and lets say a lab attacks someone or something, are they going to go ahead and ban labs then too? It doesn't make any sense and I really don't know why anyone who hasn't owned a pitbull, would be commenting about locking someone in a room with little dogs and 80 lbs pitbulls and see who does more damage. By the way, not all pitbulls are 80 lbs and vicious. Maybe we should banned ignorant people...I don't know, its just an idea.
(Posted by: EDUCATED pit bull owner)
Dogs: 5/7/2009
i have 3 dogs. I love my dogs every much. My 3 year old little girl loves our dogs very much. I do not have a pit, but i do have a rot. when she was old enough to crawl, she would crawl up to my rot and sleep with her. you are going to tell me these are bad or mean dogs. If you say: you can't have this type of dog or that type of dog in the city. then you might as well make it to where you just can't have any dogs in the city. And just so you people know some of you need to grow up.
(Posted by: dog guy)
No ban: 5/7/2009
I own 2 pits and one is a mix as well, they are great dogs, i also have 3 boys, my dog love the kids and are well mannered. to ban a certain breed is ridiculous and should not even be thought about, pitbulls are just like any other breed, if you raise them responsibly then they are sweet and they listen, you can train any dog to bite or to misbehave. I for one will NOT get rid of my pits that i love, i dont care what laws are passed
(Posted by: Matt g)
Banning: 5/7/2009
Maybe we should ban cats because I saw one chase and kill a baby rabbit yesterday. This was an unfortunate accident and the owner of the dog did everything right. By the way, there is a leash law for cats as well as dogs.
(Posted by: level headed)
This dog was not a pit bull it was a mutt: 5/7/2009
This dog in this story is just like many dogs that do not like small animals. I do not praise the dog for what it did, but it sounds like since Lindsey did not raise the dog herself and adopted the dog she did not know what the dog could have been capable of. All she was going off of was what she was told by people she should be able to trust. Now as for my own personal experience. I own a pit bull (full bred) and my family lives here in Hays. Just recently my dog was outside going to the bathroom (he is an inside dog) and he was attacked by a large chocolate lab and a small mutt looking thing while he was in our own yard and leashed. These two dogs came from no where and attacked our dog. I turned it into the animal control and was told there is nothing they could do legally (not even a dog at large fine). Now if the tables were turned and it was my pit bull running at large and attacking dogs that are leashed in there own yard there would be a big city meeting on the banning of pit bulls. FYI when this attack occurred my dog went into the submit pose on his back and whimpered till my husband and I could get the two dogs attacking him to leave our yard. Pretty vicious huh? He didn't even defend himself. Our dog has been around kids his whole life as we have a soon to be 3 yr old daughter and another on the way. DON'T SINGLE OUT A SPECIFIC BREED. THAT'S LIKE TELLING ALL HISPANICS THEY CANNOT LIVE HERE. LET'S GET A CLUE FOLKS.
(Posted by: Raised our 4 yr old pit from 8 weeks)
Ridiculous!!!!: 5/7/2009
Pit bulls 99% of the time act better than people..................I would love to run around and ban people.
(Posted by: people suck!)
PITBULL OWNER: 5/7/2009
Lindsey I am very impressed with your willingness to stand up and take responsibility for your animal. more folks should be like you.
(Posted by: SCOTT)
Owner of the Pitbull/Mastiff Mix: 5/7/2009
My name is Lindsey and I am the owner of the dog in this story in the paper on Wednesday May 6. I am a senior on the track team here at FHSU and wanted dog - but I didn't have the time to raise a puppy. So I went to a government sponsored webiste and adopted a 5 year old Pitbull/Mastiff mix that had passed all of the aggression tests. I was assured he was a great dog with a good temperment - but he didn't like cats. I adopted this dog in July and a few months later I started noticing his aggression towards smaller animals. I muzzled him for every walk and was very careful not to let him around smaller animals. I thought I was doing a good thing adopting a homeless pet and never meant for any of this to happen. I have since spoke with the other family involved and even educated the little girl about dog agression so she wouldn't be afraid of dogs for the rest of her life. If I would have ever thought my dog would jump out of a window to get another dog - I never would have gotten him in the first place. However, thats the down side of adopting homeless pets - you don't know anything about their past. I'm meeting with City Commissioners to further explain this awful situation and do everything in my power to save the good pitbulls out there. For those of you who think pitbulls should be banend: PUNISH THE DEED NOT THE BREED! Pitbulls are wonderful dogs when raised in the right hands and shouldn't be punished for what my dog did. If you want someone to blame - blame me. My email is lemiller3@scatcat.fhsu.edu for anyone who like to discuss this further.
(Posted by: 4VY39)
no ban: 5/7/2009
first off we live in the county called America,where we pride ourselves in being able to make our own choices. Second, I know of many pitbulls within our city limits that are just as harmless as a baby. The responsibility lies in that of the owner to train their dog and love their dog correctly, no person should suffer by losing their beloved pet. However, owners of dogs that do misbehave should be handled more strictly. I would even agree to a 1 and done type of system, but banning dog breeds is just plain over the top. This should not even be on the agenda during the tough times this country is in, we should be worried about much more important things than what type of dog your neighbor has, simply because one owner did not raise their dog correctly.
(Posted by: The Jesus)
DO NOT BAN THESE DOGS: 5/7/2009
What is funny is that I have seen a golden retriever almost rip a childs face off...but arent they supposed to be great family dogs?! To whoever SCOTT is...these dogs were NOT bred for fighting they were bred to bait bulls and bears... Before you try to BAN an entire breed maybe we should start looking at some of the owners of pit bulls!
(Posted by: Arilla(owner) and Nola(pit bull))
: 5/7/2009
It is not the breed of the dog it is the owner! There are many pit bulls in town with great owners, and with owners that have their dogs under control and understand the dog. i have two pit bulls and they are great!! Just about any type of dog could get in a fight with another type if that is what the dog desired.
(Posted by: pit side)
: 5/7/2009
So did the owner of the dog get punished? Did her dog get put down since she has no control over it!?!?!?
(Posted by: )
scott: 5/7/2009
scott that was a stupid comment.
(Posted by: )
DON'T BAN THEM!: 5/7/2009
WOW! I am a pitbull owner. I love my dog. He would never hurt anyone. He was raised by two females. Hes like a human. It all depends on how they are raised. They were not made to fight. Its the owners that make them that way. The funny thing is that that dog attacked that puppy, but yet, now the owner now has a pitt/boxer in his home. ANY dog could of done this. It just so happen to be a pit. Its you the public that only focus on certain dogs when it could be any of them.
(Posted by: lOVE MY DOG)
Banning is not necessary!!: 5/7/2009
People need to be educated first and foremost. Its the ill-informed that cause trouble for everyone! A pit did a bad bad thing and he paid just like criminals. Why dont we euthanize them all and save our tax dollars too. Next thing you know, people will be leaving town because their dog was banned or the stupid kill shelter we have here will be overrun with good dogs and killing them. SENSELESS!!!!!! SELFISH!!!!!!!!!! HUMANS!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Posted by: country girl)
POOR WILL: 5/7/2009
Will, maybe chihuahuas are more vicious than pitbulls,but they don't weigh 80 lbs and have a bite force of over 300 psi. Lets lock you in a room full of chihuahuas and then a room of pitbulls and see which ones do more damage to you.
(Posted by: SCOTT)
owners: 5/7/2009
its not the dogs, its the owners that should be banned. all animals react according to how they are treated.ignore them and they act badly, just like people. so breeding bans are senseless. unless applied to owners.
(Posted by: observer)
there ought not be a law: 5/7/2009
In my experience, chihuahuas are far more vicious than most breeds of dog. Should they all be killed? the owners must be held responsible for their pets' actions. Banning and killing the city's dogs is NOT the answer.
(Posted by: Will from Kansas)
I Agree: 5/7/2009
Pit bulls, along with rottweilers, chows, and any other dangerous breed should be banned in the city. These dogs can turn on anyone at anytime and therefore they are not safe to be in the city limits
(Posted by: someone who cares)
Stereotypes: 5/7/2009
How about banning homosexuals? Simply stereotyping and banning a group of people because of their undue influence on family values would be just as ridiculous as banning a specific breed of dog due to stereotypes!
(Posted by: common sense)
Nut dog: 5/6/2009
Well, the pit didn't attack the kid...good doggie, what made it grab the little dog and kill it....training? There is something wrong with the breed, but I guess you can wait tell it attacks some "body" then say, gee,maybe we should have done something?
(Posted by: deleted)
Pits: 5/6/2009
The only Pitts that need to be banned in city limits are those whose 1st names are Leonard... Prosecute the owners that let their dogs get this way.. Pitt bulls are good dogs....
(Posted by: Arm Pitts)
Pit bull ban: 5/6/2009
My grandkids play with my son's pit. How they are raised and trained that is more important than the breed of dog.
(Posted by: David Jensen)
pit bull ban: 5/6/2009
Some pit bulls/pit bull mixes can be very friendly and shouldn't be banned. Something with that particular pit bull was wrong for it to jump through a window to attack and kill another dog and endanger a child. It's only right that it was euthanized. If the city banned a breed from one or two incidents with that breed then they might as well just mandate no dogs in city limits.
(Posted by: dog lover)
BAN THEM: 5/6/2009
Pit bulls were bred for one thing and that is fighting. They are not a well mannered dog. They should be banned and the entire breed euthanized.
(Posted by: Scott)
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