McPherson, Kansas Considers Breed-Specific Ordinance


From The McPherson Sentinel:

“Two years after voting against a similar ordinance, the McPherson City Commission is reconsidering an ordinance to prohibit the ownership or keeping of pitbulls and pitbull mixes within the city limits.

In 2005, Mayor Bill Goering voted for an ordinance designed to eventually ban the ownership of pit bulls and other dangerous breeds of dogs within the city limits. However, the ordinance failed when commissioners Tony Fiedler and Charles Scharf voted against the ordinance.

The issue was raised in 2005 when a study of dog bites over a two-year period indicated that 14 of 63 recorded bites were inflicted by breeds considered as dangerous — pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

The commissioners met in a study session Monday to review and discuss a potential need for an ordinance of this type. Goering said he wanted newy-elected commissioners Mike Alkire and Bob Moore to have an opportunity to consider the proposed ordinance.

The standards, in the proposed ordinance, for keeping certain dog breeds or other potentially dangerous or vicious dogs include leash requirements, confinement, signs and special collars, insurance, identification photographs, reporting requirements, violations and penalties.

Goering said the situation is different when it involves an angry pitbull versus an angry smaller breed.

The overall build and the strength of the pitbull makes it more dangerous than say a chiuaua, for example, he said. They could be equally irritable and difficult, and upset and angry, but the problem that each one of those breeds presents is different.

Goering also said he recognizes there are other large breeds that can be vicious and bite, but when a pitbull bites it is more problematic. Most adults can survive a pitbull attack but babies and young children can’t.

“That is my reason for thinking that we need special provisions in the law for pitbull dogs,” he said.”

Read this article in its entirety here.

Please write members of the McPherson City Commission and politely inform them that breed-specific legislation in any form is ineffective and unenforceable.   An enforced leash law and a non-breed-specific dog law are more than adequate to police irresponsible dog owners of any breed:

City of McPherson, Kansas
Gary Meagher, City Clerk
400 East Kansas Avenue
P.O. Box 1008
McPherson, Kansas 67460
Phone: 620-245-2535
Fax: 620-245-2549
garym@mcpcity.com


One response to “McPherson, Kansas Considers Breed-Specific Ordinance”

  1. I reviewed this last week on my blog. What nonsense these people spew.

    Don’t they know that the insurance companies are dancing in the streets because they have a whole new line of business? Separate liability.

    The insurance cartel knows that no dog type is more dangerous than another. Their concerns relate to unscrupulous people trying to cash in on the dog hysteria.

    Their average payout for a dog case is much lower than fire, theft or any other common types of claims.

    I wish these blowhard municipal types would do a bit of research before revealing to all and sundry that they haven’t got a clue.

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