Rockwood votes 5-1 for city pit-bull ban

Rockwood votes 5-1 for city pit-bull ban

By JENNIFER RAYMOND
rcraymond@bellsouth.net

Wearing stickers and holding signs that read, “I love dogs and I vote,” people crowded into Rockwood City Hall Monday in opposition of a pit-bull ban proposed by Mayor Mike “Brillo” Miller.

Their efforts seemed to be in vain.

The city council voted 5-1 on the first reading of an ordinance to ban pit bulls within the city limits and place restrictions on pit bulls that are already in the city.

Councilman Dudley Evans was the only official to oppose the plan.

Vice Mayor Darryl Meadows voted in favor.

“We can’t do anything until something occurs,” Meadows said. “This ordinance allows us to be a little proactive.”

The restrictions would require owners to have their dog registered, leashed or muzzled when not confined and kept locked in a kennel when not indoors. It would also require owners to post “beware of dog” signs at their home and provide proof of liability insurance for $100,000.

Eleven people spoke out about the ban, many agreeing that breed-specific legislation is not the best route to prevent attacks.

Only two who spoke were from Rockwood.

“This doesn’t address vicious dogs within a breed; it opposes a single breed,” said Wendy Bane of Harriman. She is also a member of the Responsible Dog Owners of Tennessee.

Miller has said his focus is safety, especially for the children of the community.

Miller has said, “I don’t want to have to look a parent in the face and say, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t do anything.’”

In response, Bane asked Miller, “What will you say to the parent whose child gets attacked by a dog that is a different breed than the one you banned?”

Many different advocacy groups were present, including representatives from the Responsible Dog Owners of Tennessee, National Kennel Club, Bless the Bullys and Bully Breed Alliance of Knoxville.

All speakers agreed that the major problem with this type of legislation is that it does not put responsibility on the owner.

They said that stronger restraints should be placed on owners and harsher penalties for owners of dogs that violate the law.

“It’s not the dog that is in control; it’s the owner,” said Bill Moore of Oak Ridge.

“Make the people that own the animals stand up,” added Paul Vaughn of Rockwood.

“It targets the innocent as well as the guilty,” said Eddie Falin, breeder and state representative for the National Kennel Club.

Moore added that someone who wants an aggressive dog will just move on to another breed
once the pit bull is banned.

“It’ll be some other breed of dog; they’ll bring it in and make it mean,” said Wendy Jackson of Harriman.

Jodi Preis, of Bless the Bullys, said owners need to be accountable because it is the owners that make the dog dan-gerous.

“Your dog problems are really people problems,” Preis said.

Samantha Thorton of Bully Breed Alliance agreed that to solve the problem, city officials need to tackle the irresponsible owner problem.

“Not just one breed is the problem,” Thorton said.

Many believed the best approach to the problem is through educating the citizens of the area.

“The only way to prevent dog attacks or dog bites is education,” Preis said.

Many offered to meet with the council to find the best approach for Rockwood and to provide education programs.

Bane also proposed a community approach for dog bite prevention.

This program was designed by the Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions for the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Its main focus is on educating residents and preventative measures dealing with issues such as controlling free roaming dogs, licensing and vaccinating.

Bane also said she questions the cost of enforcing the law, giving citizens a false sense of security, the constitutional-ity of the ban and the lack of accountability for people who use and abuse dogs.

James Pipes, the uncle of Jennifer Lowe, who was killed after being attacked by two dogs in November in Knoxville, even drove from Clinton to address the council and to oppose the ban.

“The problem isn’t pit bulls; it’s dangerous dogs, it’s irresponsible owners,” he said.

He added that in the hands of the wrong individual, any dog can be dangerous.

“And what happened to my niece is the result,” he said.

“Banning pit bulls is not going to save anybody,” Pipes said. “I would like you to save the next Jennifer Lowe.”

After much discussion, the council voted with only Evans opposing.

“I’d like to look at it more,” Evans said.

Councilman James Neal, who voted in favor of the ban, said, “If there is some way we can prevent this, we need to do something.”

Some council members did agree to meet with members of the advocacy groups and hear more about the situation and about different approaches to the dog bite problem before the next council meeting.

The council will vote on the second reading on Feb. 18.

If it passes on that reading, the ordinance will then go into effect.

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