The Observation Deck

... to get rid of the Breed Specific Legislation banning pit bull breed dogs which taints its dangerous animal ordinance?

http://whdrane.conwaygreene.com/NXT/gat ... OHLakewood

Yes they should, but I'm doubtful that they will. This City Hall panders to racists on a range of issues.

As the owner of 2 very small dogs, I agree with the pit bull ban in Lakewood. About 10 years ago, we were seconds away from having one of our dogs mauled by a loose pit bull on Grace Avenue. Just this week, a man in Ohio was mauled to death by his own pit bull. These dogs are bred to kill. It doesn't matter how they are raised. How many times do you hear on the news about a pit bull that kills or maims a family member and the owner will say that the dog was wonderful with their children and never showed aggression before? They are known to just "snap" without provocation. Pit bulls are dangerous and I'm behind the ban.

Also, I believe that we have many more important issues facing us in Lakewood right now - loss of jobs, hospital closure, opiate crisis, declining tax base - that should be addressed before the breed specific ban.

Michael Deneen wrote:Yes they should, but I'm doubtful that they will. This City Hall panders to racists on a range of issues.

Always good for a laugh - City Hall touting Lakewood's "diversity" while the Administration and Council are a sea of white, and mostly men.

Where's the diversity in representation?

Amy Martin wrote:Also, I believe that we have many more important issues facing us in Lakewood right now - loss of jobs, hospital closure, opiate crisis, declining tax base - that should be addressed before the breed specific ban.

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Amy Martin wrote:As the owner of 2 very small dogs, I agree with the pit bull ban in Lakewood. About 10 years ago, we were seconds away from having one of our dogs mauled by a loose pit bull on Grace Avenue. Just this week, a man in Ohio was mauled to death by his own pit bull. These dogs are bred to kill. It doesn't matter how they are raised. How many times do you hear on the news about a pit bull that kills or maims a family member and the owner will say that the dog was wonderful with their children and never showed aggression before? They are known to just "snap" without provocation. Pit bulls are dangerous and I'm behind the ban.

Also, I believe that we have many more important issues facing us in Lakewood right now - loss of jobs, hospital closure, opiate crisis, declining tax base - that should be addressed before the breed specific ban.

I agree that there are other issues of broader interest, so I'll keep my reply proportionate to your own comments (124 words).

Just a few points:

• People do hear a lot about pit bull attacks relative to other dogs. It's probably because there are a large number of pit bulls, and because news media bias here is beyond belief.
• The best evidence I've seen suggests that pit bull aggression is much milder than a lot of other breeds.
• I understand that people are more concerned about personal experience, but I think government responses to concerns need to be evidence based. Masses of evidence show that alternate policies improve safety outcomes far better than breed-specific legislation. That's the conclusion of National Canine Research Council, CDC, etc., etc.

Since other communities have pioneered and tested better approaches, I think our city could potentially adopt their work without reducing the priority given to any other issues.

Amy Martin wrote:Also, I believe that we have many more important issues facing us in Lakewood right now - loss of jobs, hospital closure, opiate crisis, declining tax base - that should be addressed before the breed specific ban.

I agree that our crumbling budget and tax base are of primary importance.
However, that does not preclude them from fixing a very basic injustice.

God yes it is time to get rid of it. I run an all breed rescue. My rescue is exempt is from the BSL law. I have an ordinance and everything and had to fight for it. I have done this for years....10 years with ADH (this year) and 2 more with another group. I have been attacked many many times. Surgery actually for the attacks, I lost count at how many stitches I had to have over the years. I can be honest when I say a pittie or mix was never the cause. I lost a finger tip to a lab, I had stitches in my arm from a pug, I had stitches in my head from a beagle mix. (yes head... it was a violent attack) My son was attacked in the face by a min-pin. I have a foster Boston Terrier that has to be sedated just to go to the vet office for an exam and shots. I have a great dane here that will attack anyone that comes in this house, and will attack any small dog or critter. I have an English Bulldog that will eat every other dog big or small and cat that she sees, I have a doberman that is just a plain goofball and hugs everyone. I have a pittie mix (dna legal in lakewood) that will hide when he sees people. He will run and hide. However he is dog picky. I keep him out of situations that will cause harm to anyone.
My rescue has been legal to have and foster pits for years now...has there been any attacks? Nope. Has your city gone down hill because I have them here? Nope. Have you been personally maimed or anything since they have been here? Nope. So tell me again how BSL is working? It creates a false sense of security. I hate to say this...but ANY and EVERY dog breed can and will bite. They can't speak and say "hey leave me alone" so they bite. (how cool would it be if a dog did talk?) What we need here is a breed neutral law. Treat all dogs as equals. Enforce and create stricter ALL BREED laws. Enforce leash laws. Enforce loose dog laws. I can also tell you that our bite stats did not go down with BSL.
We also have a pittie mixes in the city. Legally. DNA tested and legally allowed here. you mean to tell me a 1% in DNA is going to change a dog's behavior. Really? How does that work? It doesn't.
Look at my Beethoven. If you look at him, you would say "illegal...he is a pit get him out" but his DNA proves otherwise. So again how does his DNA change him? He has staffie in him, just not enough to make him illegal. So again...explain how that works? So you mean the other breeds in him make him different. NO!!! He is still a dog.
My cat honestly should be on the "dangerous animal" list. No joke. She attacks everyone who walks in the door. She has bloodied several other dogs, and sent one dog to the emergency room and he had to have stitches. A cat!!!! A mean nasty cat.
And coming from the money/tax side of things. Wouldn't you rather your tax dollars be spent on other things than an ACO going to court and fighting whether or not a dog should live in the city. Think of what your tax dollars are doing.... I have been to these hearings. It is a waste of tax dollars.

Amy Martin wrote:These dogs are bred to kill.

Hi, Amy - Respectfully ... an entire breed is NOT bred to kill. A$$holes who take advantage of this breed's immense sense of loyalty to its owner in order to train (not breed) them to be uber-aggressive killing machines for financial gain are the real issue. Implying that an entire breed of dog are killers is akin to saying that each and every Italian is a ruthless, throat slitting member of the Mafia.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Amy Martin wrote:Also, I believe that we have many more important issues facing us in Lakewood right now - loss of jobs, hospital closure, opiate crisis, declining tax base - that should be addressed before the breed specific ban.

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So , there's too much on part-time city council members' plates? Perhaps it's time for full-time council members? (or should that be its own thread?)

Absent review and reversal by the Ohio Supreme Court, the more than 80 municipalities in Ohio with breed-discriminatory ordinances still on the books now face the choice of either repealing them or defending them in court—with the law stacked against them.

Lakewood seems to like being in court fighting against residents. Will they continue this trend and fight to keep the now illegal ordinance?