Possible Elgin pit bull ban

The Elgin City Council is considering a pit bull breed ban in the hopes that it will cut down on the number of dog attacks in our city. There is a Council meeting on Wed 10/28 at 7pm and it's our understanding that Elgin residents will be able to speak in opposition (or support if that's your choice) of this ban.

While Anderson Animal Shelter applauds any efforts to help ensure the safety of residents from dangerous dogs, we believe that any ordinance banning specific breeds is ineffective in addressing the issue at the heart of the problem – irresponsible owners who don’t abide by existing animal laws and don’t provide appropriate care to their dogs.

Government agencies that have passed breed specific legislation have found it to be costly and ineffective in improving public safety. Breed specific legislation has also proven to be difficult to enforce. Many well muscled pure and mixed breed dogs with short hair coats are often confused with banned breeds (including Labs and Beagles so this ban could affect many more dog owners than just those with 'bully breeds' should their dog be picked up as a stray by the police). Costly litigation is becoming more common in these cases which increasingly require DNA testing to show whether a dog is subject to the ban.

We have done a lot of research on this topic and have compiled stats and documention on why breed specific legislation doesn't work, as well as have alternatives to BSL that does work. We didn't want to have an impossibly long post here, so please contact us at neuteryourpets@andersonanimalshelter.org for more information.

Contact information for the Councilmembers is below should any of you want to urge them to find a better way to curb dog attacks in Elgin. Please also consider attending the meeting on Wednesday.

http://www.cityofelgin.org/index.aspx?nid=77