5 replies to this topic

[keporter]

Livonia might make dog rules tougher

By Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

Comment on this story
Send this story to a friend
Get Home Delivery

LIVONIA -- The City Council on Wednesday is expected to begin revamping Livonia's dog ordinance.

The current rule requires all dogs to be "under control" by their owners. That means dogs must have a leash, or be trained to obey their handlers' verbal commands, said City Council President Gerald "Joe" Taylor.

If the full council votes Wednesday to send the existing ordinance to the city's legislative committee, members could change its wording to make owners more responsible for their pets.

A leash requirement is one of several ideas that could be discussed.

"This new council could determine that we need a stronger law," Taylor said. "It's possible that a leash requirement could be part of that."

Any recommendations made by the legislative committee about the ordinance would be sent to the City Council for final approval.

The city ordinance currently states that if a pet attacks a person, the pet owner gets a warning -- if it's the first offense. Multiple violations can result in fines and possible criminal charges.

The City Council meets at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the City Hall auditorium, 33000 Civic Center Drive.

Some communities are taking a fresh look at their animal control practices after the April 4 mauling death of a 6-year-old Hamtramck girl by her family's two pit bulls.

Cassidy Jeter was attacked by the dogs; police called to the scene shot and killed the animals because the girl's mother could not call them off.

Cassidy's death prompted some calls for a ban on pit bulls.

Northville and a handful of other municipalities have designated dog parks, where dog owners can walk their pets in a secure, fenced area or the dogs can run off leash.

Other communities, such as Ecorse, are considering stiffer penalties for pet owners who don't control their animals.

http://www.detnews.c.../B03-160540.htm

[keporter]

Livonia studies stricter pet law

City Council could revamp dog ordinance tonight to require leashes in all cases.

By Eric Lacy / The Detroit News


The Livonia City Council could begin revamping its dog ordinance to require leashes when it meets tonight.

LIVONIA -- As 78-year-old Sarah Burns walked with her two granddaughters near a wooded area this month, a sandy-colored dog bolted toward them, ripped a teddy bear from the hands of one of the children and escaped into a patch of trees.

For a half hour, the three walkers and the dog's owner pursued the Labrador retriever. They recovered a tattered and dirty stuffed animal. The confused 4-year-old wanted a new toy.

While no one was hurt, Burns doesn't want to experience another close encounter with a canine.

"The whole thing could have been a nightmare," Burns said. "I don't care how big dogs are."

Burns now is lobbying the Livonia City Council to change its dog ordinance to require leashes; the process could begin tonight.

The current city law requires all dogs to be "under control" by their owners. That means dogs must have a leash, or be trained to obey their handlers' verbal commands. Dog owners violating the ordinance can be fined or even charged criminally -- depending on the severity of the case.

Livonia isn't the only community in which citizens are demanding stricter pet laws.

Members of Inkster's Southwest Block Club Association, for example, want their community to adopt a leash law, too.

Resident Larry Motley, 60, expects to lobby Inkster officials this week to require leashes and ban breeds such as pit bulls and Rottweilers that he believes may be dangerous.

"These dogs are the greatest danger we have in our area right now," said Motley, the block club's executive director. "I see these dogs roaming the streets every day."

The recent death of a 6-year-old Hamtramck girl prompted some calls for a ban on pit bulls.

Cassidy Jeter was killed April 4 in an alley by two pit bulls that belonged to her family. Police called to the scene shot and killed the animals because the girl's mother could not call them off.

The Michigan Humane Society supports leash laws, but it helped defeat a state bill in the mid-1980s to ban pit bulls. In Wayne County, Ecorse has banned pit bulls. They are legal in Livonia, however.

Several western Wayne County communities -- including Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Canton Township, Westland and Dearborn -- already have leash laws.

The Livonia City Council could begin revamping its dog ordinance when it meets at 8 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 33000 Civic Center Drive. Council members are expected to send the existing ordinance to their three-member Legislative Committee, which could revise it to make owners more responsible for their pets. The full council must agree to any changes.

Passage of a tougher dog ordinance could be a challenge, especially if it involves a leash law. Enforcement would need to be strict for such a policy to work, said City Clerk Val Vandersloot, who was on the council for eight years.

That's easier said than done, since the city has a population of more than 100,000, limited resources in the animal control department and a hiring freeze prompted by the city budget crunch.

"You can make laws, but laws not readily enforceable become useless," Vandersloot said.

In 2004, Livonia issued pet licenses for 3,304 animals. Most were for dogs, but some cats and ferrets were licensed, too.

Dan Morris, owner of Dan Morris Dog Training, suggests an alternative to the creation of a leash law: requiring pet owners to get their dogs trained once they are four months old.

Morris, 59, is a former K-9 trainer with the U.S. Air Force. He trained at least 50 dogs a week at his Livonia business.

"If you had such a policy, you would really be educating the people and eliminating the problem," said Morris, whose business stands to gain from such a requirement.

"The biggest problem out there now is that you have a lot of dogs that aren't properly socialized. I bet if such an initiative passed, it would eliminate about 90 percent of dog bite cases."

Northville and Westland have fenced parks designated dogs can run off their leashes and play with their owners. Livonia has no plans for a dog park, Vandersloot said.

Northville's dog park, off Cady Street, attracted about 280 dogs last year. More than 250 households registered up to three dogs each, and purchased key cards to get into the park.

A three acre dog park opened in Westland last October at the Hawthorne Ridge area of Hines Park. About 50 residents registered their dogs for the park.

Northville resident Rodney Tabacyznski, 60, advocates leash laws. But he also wants more dog parks to reward responsible owners who properly train and care for their dogs.

Tabacyznski takes Chloe, a yellow lab, nearly every day to the Northville dog park and rarely sees problems involving other dogs. Chloe is always on a leash, whether in or outside the park.

"In these kinds of communities, you really should have a dog on the leash for safety reasons," Tabacyznski said. "There are a lot of people that are scared of dogs, so it's better to keep them on a leash instead of taking risks."

http://www.detnews.c.../B03-163274.htm

[brownsmom]

It is really too bad that we have to pass laws when people just need to learn to be responsible.

[Jennymay]

In Windsor, your dog MUST be on a leash while off the property, of even in the front yard if not properly fenced or tied up. I think it's a good thing, myself. Although...I have neighbours who don't give a $hit what the law is, and allow their pit bulls to go wherever the heck they want. I have opened my door and have had a strange pit that I don't know, barking at me on MY porch, at MY front door. And, it wouldn't make a difference to me WHAT kind of dog, where are the responsible owners to make sure they know where their dog is???
(Mind you, my neighbourhood right now is an accident waiting to happen....4 pit bulls, by 3 irresponsible neighbours (yes, 3 different homes on my 7 house block) and 2 CONSTANTLY are getting out of their yards, and are VERY aggressive...)

I think mostly, it's like brownsmom said...Where is the responsible dogowner??? And what about...COMMON SENSE?!?!?!?!

[brownsmom]

In Windsor, your dog MUST be on a leash while off the property, of even in the front yard if not properly fenced or tied up.  I think it's a good thing, myself.  Although...I have neighbours who don't give a $hit what the law is, and allow their pit bulls to go wherever the heck they want.  I have opened my door and have had a strange pit that I don't know, barking at me on MY porch, at MY front door.  And, it wouldn't make a difference to me WHAT kind of dog, where are the responsible owners to make sure they know where their dog is???
(Mind you, my neighbourhood right now is an accident waiting to happen....4 pit bulls, by 3 irresponsible neighbours (yes, 3 different homes on my 7 house block) and 2 CONSTANTLY are getting out of their yards, and are VERY aggressive...)

I think mostly, it's like brownsmom said...Where is the responsible dogowner??? And what about...COMMON SENSE?!?!?!?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I never understand why people want agressive dogs. I mean, really, the average owner has no use for a dog that is like that. I understand the need for HIGHLY TRAINED guard dogs for some professional handlers (like police and security) but c'mon, my big FRIENDLY dogs would deter the typical burglar. I just don't get it. Then you get the idios that create dogs they can't even handle and wonder why the things get loose and eat the neighbors...or them!!!! (of course, the dogs never seem to eat the idiots that DESERVE it....)

[Jennymay]

Yeah, no kidding, eh??
My one neighbour?? He's going to get his bum sued off BIG time pretty soon, with his dog. He doesn't even LIVE there, it's his "scrap yard" that the dog is protecting...which means, "I'm going to get a pit, tie him up 24/7, go and see him every so often so he knows me and knows who the boss is, but other than that, ce la vie..."
Horrible, HORRIBLE irresponsibility...
AND...this same guy used to have Dobermanns, and LOVED the breed because they were so intimidating LOOKING, but were so gentle. And now he has pits...DANGEROUS pit bulls, at that... That dog, I kid you not, is going to seriously harm another dog, OR child on my block, and it will be a sad, sad day...an accident waiting to happen.