Springfield City Council to vote on plan to ban pit bulls

Clarification: A statement from a health department spokesperson has been added, explaining pit bull determinations are based off United Kennel Club standards.

A new proposal to ban pit bulls from Springfield altogether is headed to City Council.

Under the proposed changes, owners would have until Oct. 1 to register their pit bulls. After the deadline, people could continue to renew existing pit bull registrations, but the city would not accept any new ones. Any unregistered pit bulls within city limits could be "seized and disposed of."

The idea, supporters say, is that pit bulls will be phased out of Springfield over several years. The proposal would also place more severe penalties on owners who break the law.

A person who violates the pit bull ordinance could be fined at least $500 in addition to all applicable court costs. If a judge decides not to enforce the fine, the offender would be required to serve a year of supervised probation and work at least 100 hours of community service. Penalties are even more severe for a second violation.

"This is not a 'take your pet away' ordinance," Councilman Craig Fishel said during a committee meeting Thursday afternoon, adding that law-abiding pit bull owners should not be affected by the new proposal.

The committee decided to send the proposed ban on to the entire City Council for discussion and a final vote. City spokesperson Cora Scott said a date has not been set yet for the bill's first and second hearings.

Out of the four committee members, Councilwoman Kristi Fulnecky was the only person to oppose the motion sending the bill to the full council.

Fulnecky said she would rather see city leaders focus on punishing bad owners of all kinds of dogs, not just one breed.

Councilman Craig Hosmer said recent severe pit bull attacks show that the city "has failed" in protecting individuals from vicious dogs.

"I'm not saying I will support this in council 100 percent," Hosmer said. "(It's important to get) public comment on the bill from both sides, to use that process to craft something that not only protects good owners and good dogs, but also protects people in their backyards in a kiddie pool."

Hosmer appeared to be referencing an incident in July when two toddlers were mauled by pit bulls while playing in their backyard.

The toddlers' parents, Travis and Christin Atwell, attended Thursday's meeting. They previously told city leaders how the vicious dog attack has traumatized their family and asked for a pit bull ban.

"We're very excited to see progress," Travis Atwell told the News-Leader after the meeting.

Jennifer Silverberg, a member of the Springfield Bully Alliance, was also at the meeting.

Silverberg said she believes the pit bull ban ordinance was drafted too quickly and there are "still a lot of unanswered questions."

Silverberg said she wants to know what will happen to families with pit bulls who want to move to Springfield after the October deadline. She also questioned how pit bull owners who live outside of city limits will be impacted if they want to bring their pets into town for groomer or vet appointments.

Council members are being too reactive to the recent high-profile vicious dog attacks, Silverberg said.

"I'd like to see them listen more to professionals in the field — local vets and local dog trainers — not make decisions based out of fear. Because I think they get really scared."

Silverberg said she believes the current city ordinance, which includes a series of penalties for all dangerous dogs and their owners, would work if it was better enforced.

"I think our animal control is understaffed and overwhelmed," Silverberg said.

Fulnecky asked the health department how animal control identifies pit bulls, particularly mixes.

An animal control officer said Springfield's pit bull ordinance covers pit bulls, pit bull mixes and dogs with "pit bull characteristics."

"Characteristics, meaning the look of a pit bull," the animal control officer clarified. "If it has characteristics, we'll go ahead and call it a pit bull. The owner gives us an idea, too. If the owner is calling it a pit bull, we'll call it a pit bull, too."

Health department spokesperson Morgan McDonald told the News-Leader pit bull determinations are based off United Kennel Club standards for the American Pit Bull Terrier.

For all other breeds of dogs, McDonald said the health department uses American Kennel Club standards, which does not include pit bulls in the more than 200 breeds it recognizes.

Fulnecky also asked for a list of breeds of dogs that have bitten people in Springfield.

Springfield-Greene County Health Department spokesperson Kathryn Wall previously provided the News-Leader with statistics for dogs put into quarantine after a bite was reported.

Wall said dogs are categorized by their dominant breed, as "many, if not most, are probably mixes."

Wall also said the bites represented below vary in severity. The health department quarantines a dog any time the skin is broken as a rabies precaution, Wall said.

"That does not mean all of these dogs were euthanized," Wall said.

The numbers are from 2017 up to Aug. 1.

Pit bull — 8

Labrador — 8

Beagle/hound — 6

German shepherds — 5

Terrier — 5

Rottweiler — 4

Boxer — 3

American Eskimo — 1

Belgian Malinois — 1

Dachshund — 1

Great Dane — 1

Pyrenees — 1

Havanese — 1

Husky — 1

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