European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 20, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Attacking the pit Bull problem by Fred Bayles associated pressm Ichael of Hhd has spent a year Rosca Iching canine blood lines not a to i breeder but a City Allomby. Barry is seeking a Way to keep pit bulls out of Lynn mass the question has taken up our time but we re glad we be done said Barry who has already laced one court lest of a cily ordinance puts special constraint on Pil Bull owners the number of incidents Wilh Pil bulls has gone Down dramatically " spurred by a lacks on humans by such dogs cities and towns across the United states Are looking Tat a Legal response ranging irom outright bans on the Breed to ordinances carrying heavy lines Tor irresponsible owners the humane society of the United Stales Esh Matos some 40 communities have passed Laws or Are considering legislation. Bui passing and enforcing such Laws is difficult. Laws aimed at Ono Breed nearly always bring Well organized challenges from owners groups and Honnol dubs. Lots of communities Are panicking and passing Laws Hal turn out Lobo said Madeline Bernstein a vice president and attorney with the american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals you have to respect the rights of legitimate owners and you have to remember the dog has rights Loo " the debate censers around pit bulls an umbrella term ice dogs of several Breeds including the Lallor Shire Bull terrier the american Staffordshire terrier Tho american pit Bui terrier and sometimes the Bull Terner known As companion to both Gen. George Patton or. And villain Bill Sikes in Tho movie musical Oliver and More acc Nelly. As spuds Mackenzie the parly dog in to Beer commercials the animals weigh 40 to 60 pounds and have powerful Chest neck and jaw Muscles. Devoted owners say the dogs Are smart and affectionate see related Story. They Point to such american icons As Buster Brown s dog. Tiger Pete the dog in the our gang comedies and the Ria Victor dog As examples of Tho Breeds liner qualities. But the Breeds have a sinister reputation. Bred Over centuries Lor dog lighting a vicious now illegal blood sport pit bulls Are tenacious aggressive animals they Are considered dangerous because of their tendency to lock onto a victim with their powerful jaws Donald Clifford a veterinarian and director of Laboratory animal Medicine at Tho medical College of Ohio in Toledo said his study of the animals makes him believe their game Ness sets them apart from other Breeds other dogs will eventually quit an attack. Whereas pit bulls continue to fight you read How once they Loci Ohio a Little kid. It s goodbye Little kid. They Don t injure you a Little bit they Continuo to Drill in " moreover problems associated with pit bulls Are exacerbated by some no their owners according to Michael a Shlima. General counsel for Tho 200.000 member american dog owners association Many owners including drug dealers Are attracted to the a feed by its reputation of toughness and train the dogs to be vicious Tho problem is not Wilh american pit Bull terrors it s with Erks and idiots who own Ushi Ima said ii they eliminated tins Breed. The jerks would turn to another one " some 25.000 pit Bull dogs Are Register cd wild various Kennel clubs but kale Hindy a humane society researcher estimates that up to full a million dogs have Sorre pit Bull ancestry according the humane sooty. Live deals have been attributed to Pil hulls in 19s7 last year seven of t such deaths were blamed on pit bulls the Moie recent cases include a 67-year old Man in Kell Cring Otilio. Mai blvd by Pil hulls while visiting another Home a 16 month old girl mid a a family Pel in Jones. Okla the on camera at Lack of a of Angeles animal con my of tet in a Lif Jali re an Atuck by a pit Miami police try to capture a pit Dull after it killed a Eal then injured the cat s owner. 1985 photo up photo Bull theol icer s hand was crushed a 2 year old Santa Clara. Carl. Boy fatally savaged by a neighbor s dog. The child was killed when he wandered into a Yard where the dog was leashed authorities said the dog was guarding his master s marijuana Patch. The Laws passed in response to such a lacks have met with varying Levels of acceptance. In Lynn where Barry said Lour or five Al tacks had been recorded in the past two years an attacks on a mailman prompted a temporary mail Boycott of the Streel whore the dog lived cily officials then refused to Register any More pit bulls the intent was that it any new pit bulls were brought in they would be banned from the said Barry. But d court Challenge by several groups including Ihu dog owners association succeeded in removing the ban pm Bull owners now must keep their dogs in secured areas and take them Oil the property Onty to visit a vet that Section of Ito Idemance is also under Appeal. Dog owners have also challenged a Law in Cincinnati mat bans Sale or Possession of Pil bulls within the cily limits. Assistant City solicitor sob Johnstons said the Taw was working. Four or live dogs were turned Over to 1he City and destroyed we Haven t had an incident in Quile in Chester a. A year old in j that requires owners to carry Hefly liability policies Aid pay s500 annual Lees to License their pit bulls was recently upheld in u s. District court lint dog and vocals say 1i.1. Ihal trios 1o target local governments into non Bojoh Pomfret associated press local governments across America Are practising Mam Streel diplomacy taking controversial stands on Sonsil ivc issues and the trend has raised hackles in Washington in cily councils Connly Jedi j and ?1 resolutions on defense policy immigration trails and human rights no.-, pm with school Budge and sewage problems the Federal govern my i. in be in Soli charge of foreign relations irid the Toca lilacs Pul inc in Ihen words irritate the slate Dopa i Ifni which seeks a is to Dampen the trend said a department lawyer Cin condition Hal not be used this kind of dabbling is gelling Oul of hand the United Misir Nooak with one Voiiso politically tinged acts such As ordinances on free zones or non cot Al ration m rounding up illegal immigrants Moi with but As the dabblers say. It s a Hilie late to Slop them that 5 How this Ccu Miry works " Sas Edward i Koch mayor of you a things Start at Ihu Page 14 the stars and stripes grass roots arid move up his City is using is economic clout a Amsl South Africa s apartheid government in smaller towns Iii. A Ikoma Park my. Local Moltu Are knocking head Ino immigration and service in refusing to let local police t ins agents in decor line in.,11 aliens irom latin America i would be lying if i t there was t serious concern in the Depar irm not out this trend in local activism says Lee of the stale derailment s Oll co of allans some of Ines a tics acidic is Are i .11 id some of them ate our Tancous " while stale depart m officials would just As Soi the local governments Ktut to potholes and school budgets we Are St in Moru arid More of these k Oll rials catching the says Mic Shuman pres Deal of Ihu Conler lot innovative diplomacy an Adirim in up in san Francisco in the past in yn.n1, itus hug has led local governments to Pavri of ordinances ind resolutions More than in it. I 21 counties have Pas monday
