Vicki
Administrator
December 22, 2009
Putnam ordinance targets pit bulls
By Veronica Nett
Staff writer
WINFIELD, W.Va. -- When he leaves his Bancroft-area home, Earnest D. Hunter carries an old fishing rod to defend himself against dogs in the Putnam County community.
"I'm not going to be kept in my house because people will not take care of their animals," Hunter said.
He was among about 20 Bancroft residents at a County Commission meeting Tuesday to support an ordinance that prohibits pit bulls, mixed-breed pit bulls and any other dogs deemed vicious from running free.
Commissioners passed the ordinance 2-1 Tuesday, and received a standing ovation from the Bancroft residents.
The ordinance requires owners of pit bulls and other dogs deemed vicious to keep the animals on their property with a six-foot enclosed fence or keep them on a four-foot leash held by the owner.
Violators face up to a $1,000 fine for the first offense, and a $300 to $2,000 fine for the second offense. For a third offense, an owner will face up to a year in jail and a fine of $300 to $2,000.
A vicious dog, as defined in the ordinance, is a pit bull or mixed-breed pit bull or a dog that chases, bites, or attempts to chase or bite, without provocation, a person or another domesticated animal, or exhibits unprovoked aggression.
"We all like dogs. The problem is we have people not taking care of them," said Bancroft resident Jay Phillips.
He said a number of town residents allow their dogs to run free and attack and chase people. Residents have tried to talk to the dog owners, he said, but the animals are still let loose.
"It's escalating," he said. "The owners won't listen. They don't care."
About two weeks ago, a dog attacked two teenagers in Bancroft City Park, and one had to be taken to the hospital for injuries to his arms, he said.
Phillips, a Sunday school teacher, said he can't take his class to the park anymore, and noted that Commissioner Gary Tillis' son is a Sunday school student at the same church.
He said the community is terrified of the dogs, and it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed by one of them.
Parents carried golf clubs and Mace when their kids went trick-or-treating on Halloween, Hunter said.
Several Bancroft residents also told commissioners of being attacked, trapped in their cars and chased down the streets by snarling dogs.
Because the ordinance singles out pit bulls, Sheriff Mark Smith said, police can take more direct measures to ensure that the animals' owners take responsibility.
"Until he bits you or tears your face off, or tears your friend's face off, I can't do anything," Smith said.
Tillis and Commissioner Steve Andes voted for the ordinance, but Commissioner Joe Haynes voted against it because of its specific mention of pit bulls.
"Once you start singling out specific dogs, it's a slippery slope," Haynes said. "We're not dog experts."
Pit bulls are just one of 30 breeds of dogs known to have attacked a person, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Haynes, whose wife volunteers at the county's animal shelter and has helped lead the drive for a new shelter.
The top 10 most dangerous dogs are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chow chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas, according to the CDC.
"I would rather have a dog owner offended because they feel their dog has been unfairly specified, than have someone call me because their child has been attacked or had their face mauled off," said Tillis, who grew up in Bancroft.
Andes said he did not agree with the ordinance being breed-specific, but felt there was enough of a problem to pass it.
A Monroe County man died earlier this month after he was attacked near his home by a pack of pit bulls.
Lowell Bowden, 70, of Union was attacked by four or five dogs, he died several days latter from his injuries. The dogs' owners, Justin Blankenship, his mother Kimberly Blankenship and Mose Christian and Anna Hughes were arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter on Dec. 10.
In August, a pit bull attacked and killed a 3-day-old boy in his home in Hardy County. The one-year-old pit bull was a family pet.
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Putnam ordinance targets pit bulls
By Veronica Nett
Staff writer
WINFIELD, W.Va. -- When he leaves his Bancroft-area home, Earnest D. Hunter carries an old fishing rod to defend himself against dogs in the Putnam County community.
"I'm not going to be kept in my house because people will not take care of their animals," Hunter said.
He was among about 20 Bancroft residents at a County Commission meeting Tuesday to support an ordinance that prohibits pit bulls, mixed-breed pit bulls and any other dogs deemed vicious from running free.
Commissioners passed the ordinance 2-1 Tuesday, and received a standing ovation from the Bancroft residents.
The ordinance requires owners of pit bulls and other dogs deemed vicious to keep the animals on their property with a six-foot enclosed fence or keep them on a four-foot leash held by the owner.
Violators face up to a $1,000 fine for the first offense, and a $300 to $2,000 fine for the second offense. For a third offense, an owner will face up to a year in jail and a fine of $300 to $2,000.
A vicious dog, as defined in the ordinance, is a pit bull or mixed-breed pit bull or a dog that chases, bites, or attempts to chase or bite, without provocation, a person or another domesticated animal, or exhibits unprovoked aggression.
"We all like dogs. The problem is we have people not taking care of them," said Bancroft resident Jay Phillips.
He said a number of town residents allow their dogs to run free and attack and chase people. Residents have tried to talk to the dog owners, he said, but the animals are still let loose.
"It's escalating," he said. "The owners won't listen. They don't care."
About two weeks ago, a dog attacked two teenagers in Bancroft City Park, and one had to be taken to the hospital for injuries to his arms, he said.
Phillips, a Sunday school teacher, said he can't take his class to the park anymore, and noted that Commissioner Gary Tillis' son is a Sunday school student at the same church.
He said the community is terrified of the dogs, and it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed by one of them.
Parents carried golf clubs and Mace when their kids went trick-or-treating on Halloween, Hunter said.
Several Bancroft residents also told commissioners of being attacked, trapped in their cars and chased down the streets by snarling dogs.
Because the ordinance singles out pit bulls, Sheriff Mark Smith said, police can take more direct measures to ensure that the animals' owners take responsibility.
"Until he bits you or tears your face off, or tears your friend's face off, I can't do anything," Smith said.
Tillis and Commissioner Steve Andes voted for the ordinance, but Commissioner Joe Haynes voted against it because of its specific mention of pit bulls.
"Once you start singling out specific dogs, it's a slippery slope," Haynes said. "We're not dog experts."
Pit bulls are just one of 30 breeds of dogs known to have attacked a person, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Haynes, whose wife volunteers at the county's animal shelter and has helped lead the drive for a new shelter.
The top 10 most dangerous dogs are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chow chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas, according to the CDC.
"I would rather have a dog owner offended because they feel their dog has been unfairly specified, than have someone call me because their child has been attacked or had their face mauled off," said Tillis, who grew up in Bancroft.
Andes said he did not agree with the ordinance being breed-specific, but felt there was enough of a problem to pass it.
A Monroe County man died earlier this month after he was attacked near his home by a pack of pit bulls.
Lowell Bowden, 70, of Union was attacked by four or five dogs, he died several days latter from his injuries. The dogs' owners, Justin Blankenship, his mother Kimberly Blankenship and Mose Christian and Anna Hughes were arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter on Dec. 10.
In August, a pit bull attacked and killed a 3-day-old boy in his home in Hardy County. The one-year-old pit bull was a family pet.
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