A Louisiana family is fighting to protect their dog Zeus after the village of Moreauville passed an ordinance banning pit bulls and Rottweilers.

Moreauville passed a measure in October that states residents who own one of the banned breeds must get rid of it by Dec. 1. Owners of “vicious dogs” received a letter saying that pets found within the corporate limits of Moreauville after that date will be “impounded and transported to a veterinary clinic for further disposition,” according to a letter posted on the family’s Facebook page, CNN reported.

The dog’s owner, Joanna Armand, started an online petition calling on the village to reverse the ban. The petition has reached more than 90,000 signatures, with an overall goal of 100,000.

“If anything ever happened to him, I would just shut down,” said Ms. Armand’s daughter, O’Hara Owens, who suffers from severe neck problems and has to use a wheelchair, a local NBC affiliate reported.

Ms. Owens said Zeus acts as a sort of “therapy dog” for her and her family.

“I can sit here if I’m in pain, [and] he comes and notices it before I even make any noise,” she said. “The breed is not vicious — it’s the owner. It is the way that you raise them.”

Alderman Penn Lemoine said the ordinance was created to appease several residents.

“We had several residents that were complaining about not being able to walk along the neighborhoods because these dogs were basically running along town,” Mr. Lemoine told the NBC affiliate.

When asked if the dogs will be killed once they’re impounded, Mr. Lemoine said: “I’d rather not elaborate on that.”

“If that’s what the ordinance says, then that’s what it says,” he added.

Mr. Lemoine said he owns a German Shepherd but only considers pit bulls and Rottweilers “vicious.”

Mr. Lemoine said he would consider reversing the ban if there is a big enough outcry from the public. The next council meeting is Dec. 8, the station reported.

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