BSL Livingston Co. MI

[jrsapbt]

5/13/08 - In an effort to ensure the safety of local residents in the future, Livingston County Animal Control will be instituting a new policy prohibiting the adoption or placement of any bully breeds or aggressive animals. A committee of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners approved the policy at Monday's meeting. The newly drafted policy (which can be downloaded below) comes as a result of three local tragedies; two Iosco Township residents were mauled to death by American Bulldogs last September and then in late January, two pit bulls attacked an Arabian mare in her stall in Handy Township. Animal Control Director Anne Burns tells WHMI that this was the hardest document she’s ever had to write but she had no choice as her job is to ensure public safety. The policy will cover Pit Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs, mixes (aka bully breeds) or any aggressive animal. If any stray bully breed is brought to the shelter with no evidence of ownership such as a tag or micro-chip, it will be held for the state mandated period of four days before being put down. If an owner is identified but does not the claim the animal, it will be held for seven days before being humanely euthanized. The policy will be taken up at next Monday’s meeting of the full board. If approved, it would take effect immediately. (JM)
Attachment: DogBreedPolicy.pdf


Local members please come out and protest , this proposal is not the answer.

[ShadowWolf]

Unfortunately, I can't due to working 3rd shift, but that's absolute crap. Livingston Co. HS was one of the few places to GET stable rescued APBTs.

[concreterose]

Time, date, location?

[jrsapbt]

Sorry for the delay, they did not make all the info readily available.

The meeting is at 7:30 pm on Monday May 19th

304 E Grand River
Howell, Mi. 48843

email address : commissioners@co.livingston.mi.us

If you can't come, please send an email. They are forwarding all this info to Granholm and the state reps. It won't stop in Howell!

The pdf link for the resolution is at www.whmi.com
It says bully breed owners will face fines and prosecution if their dogs end up at animal control. And a bully breed is determined at AC's sole discretion.

[concreterose]

Hmmm, I don't make it a practice of fooling around out in Howell. If anyone here is going that I can buddy up with I'll go...but I'm not going out there by myself.

[jrsapbt]

I can totally understand, we do have a bad reputation but it's not as bad as it used to be. But, on the other hand I don't frequent Detroit by myself either .

The story made the front page of the Livingston County Daily Press today so hopefully others will come out to fight. Send an email to the commissioners, every word counts.

[ShadowWolf]

http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/what happens in other forums stays in other forums ... 40307/1002

The link for those interested.

[concreterose]

I can totally understand, we do have a bad reputation but it's not as bad as it used to be. But, on the other hand I don't frequent Detroit by myself either .

The story made the front page of the Livingston County Daily Press today so hopefully others will come out to fight. Send an email to the commissioners, every word counts.

Shoot, I don't go to DeStroy by myself either
I will definitely send a polite email though!

[julie64]

I will send email. I work eves, so I can't make the meeting. I do know now some boxer rescues are rethinking of adopting there, since some aco's mistake them for AB.

I have to drive to Detroit by myself now to take hubby to work by commerica park, so not so bad. Lilly & Shay like watching the people

Julie

[concreterose]

Nah, Comerica park area isn't so bad...I go to Eastern Market to get dog food once a month (by myself). But I go fairly early in the day, when there's a lot of people out and about.

[SueN]

I am leaving for vacation but I have forwarded the information on.

[heather]

'Bully breeds' of dogs face end to adoptions
Livingston may euthanize pit bulls, others
Valerie Olander / The Detroit News
HOWELL -- Pit bulls or other "bully breeds" caught running loose in Livingston County would be euthanized within four days under a controversial proposal that puts county officials smack in the middle of the national debate about what to do about dangerous dogs.

"My job is to protect the citizens," said Livingston Animal Control Director Anne Burns, who drafted the recommendation.

The proposed policy was prompted by two horrific incidents: the killing of two people last year by a pack of four American bulldog mixes and the mauling this year of a horse by two pit bulls.

The policy is similar to some across the state but the only one of its kind in Metro Detroit. It is coming under fire from animal-rights activists because it targets specific breeds.

The proposed policy, which comes before the Livingston County Board of Supervisors on Monday, would end adoptions at the county-operated animal shelter of pit bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American bulldogs and mixes.
It comes amid raging debate about pit bulls.

Pit bull foes point to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study in 2000 that found the dogs responsible for more than one-quarter of all fatal attacks.

Their supporters say the numbers are inflated because of the popularity of the breed and say problems are caused by irresponsible owners.

"A blanket do-not-adopt bully breeds policy is not the way to go," said Ellen Stephenson, president of Elizabeth Lake Animal Rescue. "While I understand the idea, they're trying to portray a breed one way. I think it's more about stopping liability."

Burns says the policy is to make owners of these animals more responsible and diligent than a typical pet owner.

"I've seen nice pit bulls turn on a dime. These animals are powerhouses whose playful bites can do damage," Burns said.

On Tuesday, pit bull mixes made up eight of the 12 dogs in the Livingston County shelter. One had been returned after being adopted, Burns said.

The proposed policy would hold stray dogs with collars or other signs of ownership for seven days.

If claimed, owners would face prosecution under another provision. The misdemeanor charge of allowing a dog to stray carries a penalty of 90 days in jail and/or $500 fine. If no owner shows, the dog would be put down.

Livingston County is not the first to adopt a policy to prevent the adoption of "bully breeds."
Ingham and Genesee counties' animal shelters and Capital Area Humane Society in Lansing have similar regulations.

"Our policy is we don't adopt out pit bulls. It's not so much the dog. It's the environment they're going to end up in. We have a lot of dog fighting in this community," said Jamie McAloon-Lampman, director of the Ingham County Animal Control Shelter.

The Michigan Humane Society, which has shelters in Oakland and Wayne counties, and the Oakland and Macomb counties' shelters do not have breed-specific policies.

"If they're aggressive, we're not going to adopt them out; they're going to be euthanized. If they're of a questionable breed, we temperament- test them first," said Sgt. Joanie Toole of the Oakland shelter.

About 10 percent to 15 percent of the questionable breeds are deemed safe to place with rescue groups, Toole said.

Similar temperament tests are given at the Macomb shelter. The nonadoptable dogs are given to rescue groups or other placement organizations.

"A Rottweiler is still considered a bully breed. You can still have biting schnauzers and cocker spaniels. The interest from our point of view is not to limit adoptions by breed. We limit by aggressiveness. That's our responsibility to the community," said Sue Geroue, chief animal control officer at the Macomb shelter.

Burns said she thought long and hard before drafting the breed-specific policy.

She recently testified during a preliminary exam for Diane Cockrell, a Fowlerville woman who owned the bulldogs that killed 90-year-old Edward Geirlach and Cheryl Harper, 54.

The four dogs were covered with blood and flesh as they were rounded up and put into kennels in the animal control van, but only one appeared aggressive during the process, she testified.

"If I didn't do anything and this happened again, that wouldn't be right," Burns said.

You can reach Valerie Olander at (517) 552-5503 or volander@detnews. com.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... /805150373

[heather]

Proposal targets pit bull strays for euthanasia
BY SHARON GITTLEMAN • FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER • May 19, 2008

If a proposed policy is adopted by the Livingston County Board of Commissioners tonight, certain breeds of stray dogs picked up in the area will be banned from adoption and might face forced euthanasia.

American Staffordshire terriers, American bulldogs, pit bull terriers and American pit bull terriers found running loose will be put to death if they are not claimed by their owners within days.

When owners pick up their wandering pets, they will face fines and possible criminal charges.

Other animals determined to be aggressive would be subject to the same fate.

The move follows dog maulings that resulted in the deaths of two Iosco Township residents and a horse in Handy Township.

"We had some incidents here in Livingston County that were quite horrific," said Anne Burns, director of Livingston County Animal Control. "I had to do something."

The dog breeds named in the policy have proven to be the most dangerous, Burns said.

"These animals have shown aggression in the past and have been known to cause harm, create destruction and in some cases cause death," she said. "This policy is intended not to ban pit bulls, but to make sure people who decide to own these dogs or an aggressive animal will be held accountable. "

"We will seek maximum prosecution, " said Livingston County Administrator Robert Block. "We want to push it to the max." Failure to do something following the three attacks -- two last year and one this year -- by so-called bully breed dogs would be unconscionable, Block said.

"Our role in government is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community," he said. "Having these dogs loose is not consistent with this goal."

Breed-specific laws, like the policy under consideration by Livingston County, are ineffective, said Marcy Setter, a spokeswoman for Pit Bull Rescue Central, a national organization based in Missouri.

"They don't target the problem," she said. "The problem is irresponsible owners letting their dogs run free. I can show you umpteen incidents of varying breeds attacking humans. It's not a breed issue, it's an owner issue."

Pit bulls are a media-created monster, she said.

"They're not the first breed," she said. "In the '70s it was German shepherds, in the '80s it was Doberman pinschers and in the '90s it was the rottweiler. If you make a law based on looks, you're doing canine profiling."

Singling out specific breeds of dogs is not appropriate, agreed Rochester Hills veterinarian Stephen Steep, past president of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association.

Several factors determine a dog's tendency to bite humans and other animals, said Steep, including the animal's heredity, early experiences, training and physical and behavioral health.

"You have to look at the individual dog," Steep said.

Owners shouldn't shirk their responsibilities -- including socializing their pets, he said.
"This is a people problem, not an animal problem," he said.

Burns said she felt compelled to act now to change the county's stray dog policy.

"My job is to ensure public safety," she said.

"If I did nothing, it would be wrong."

http://www.freep. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID= /20080519/ NEWS06/805190332

[AmberD]

Well, crap. I just found out about this tonight, I don't venture into most of the sub-forums very often. I probably could've gone. I'll be anxious to find out what happened. It sounds like they're going to turn into Genesee County, same policy of keeping anything they label a "pit bull" for 4 days instead of the normal 8, and not even offering them up for adoption. Stupid.

[jrsapbt]

we lost..............Whoever said one person can change the world is wrong. A whole room full of people and their 3 minutes accomplished absolutly nothing. Citizens came out and tried their hardest and were told they were liars. The commissioners didn't even read the literature they were handed. When told pit bulls had to be trained to be mean they said they didn't believe us and the opposite was true.

It's hard to look my dogs in the eye tonight knowing if they get loose they will die a lonely death unless I come forward willing to serve 90 days in jail. Even if I did, I would lose them and my house anyway. I have never felt like such a failure before in my entire lif e.