**ALERT** Village of Burnham, Illinois

Cross Posted:

Burnham is a "home rule" city which means they can propose and pass BSL. So...please send your polite and respectful opposition to breed specific legislation to the Burnham officials listed below. Please also offer viable alternatives to BSL for their considation.

Village of Burnham
14450 Manistee Ave.
Burnham , IL 60633
(708) 862-9150
(708) 862-9155
villageofburnham@attbi.net


Robert E. Polk President
Nancy C. Dobrowski Clerk
Jesus Avila Trustee
Johnny Britton, Jr. Trustee
John J. Cap, Jr. Trustee
Brenda Green Trustee
Robert E. Kruger Trustee
Carmella K. Richardson Trustee



Chief of Police
Peter Belos
BurnhamPD@aol. com
14450 Manistee Avenue
Burnham, Illinois 60633
Non-emergency: (708)891-2122
Fax: (708)891-5839

Burnham considering pit bull ban
Thursday, November 15, 2007 12:11 AM CST
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BY MARTIN ZABELL
Times Correspondent

BURNHAM | Can pit bulls be banned from a community?

That is the question that Burnham village attorneys are researching in the wake of a June 1 incident in which an 11-year-old girl was threatened by two vicious pit bulls.

The attorneys are studying the issue at the request of police chief Peter Belos and trustee Brenda Greer, who chairs Burnham's Public Safety Commission.

The two officials discussed a ban last month in depth and briefly with Village President Robert Polk, but want more information before raising the topic with the Village Board.

"The main thing is we don't want to violate anyone's rights," Belos said. "We want to make sure (a ban) is constitutional. "

Belos revealed his desire to consider banning pit bulls after Tuesday's Village Board meeting. During the meeting, Greer made an impassioned speech about pit bulls, saying that she believed that there has been an increase in that breed of dog recently in Burnham and urging their owners to "please keep your dogs under control."

Greer didn't mention the idea of a ban, but Belos said the two discussed the idea because an 11-year-old girl had to climb onto the roof of a car to avoid two pit bulls who were chasing her.

The dogs almost climbed onto the roof and clawed at the girl for about four minutes until Police Lt. Perry Brne shot and killed both of them.

"That was the catalyst that sparked (talk of a ban)," Belos said. "A few minutes more and they would have figured out how to get on top of the car."

The idea is also motivated by other incidents in nearby towns in which pit bulls injured people and/or pets as well as complaints by Burnham residents about loose and roaming pit bulls, Belos said.

There were two incidents in Calumet City last summer. In one, a pit bull bit and dragged a 4-year-old boy down an alley. The boy suffered a broken bone above his wrist, lacerations to an arm, an injured eye and teeth marks on a cheek. In the other, two pit bulls attacked a family pet, partially ripping off one of the dog's ears.

Burnham does have laws which require dogs to be leashed, and for certain dogs to be muzzled, Belos said. If the village did enact a ban, residents would have a ?grace period' before having to relinquish their dogs, he said.


http://nwitimes. com/articles/ 2007/11/15/ news/illiana/ doccced69d25168d b798625739400002 5a9.txt