Local BSL update for Kansas City, MO

[Rene Allegrini]

Crossposting and forwarding is permitted.

If you live in or know residents of Lee's Summit, please ask them to contact the members of the Community Development Committee (on the city's web site) and ask them to forego BSL and stick with the city's Dangerous Dog ordinance.

If you are a resident of or know residents in Overland Park, KS, please contact your mayor and councilmen and ask them to consider replacing the current BSL/Restrictive ordinance with a generic dangerous dog ordinance. The OP web site has a form that is downloadable and is a .pdf file - it lists contact information for the Mayor and council.


Local BSL Update:

Kansas City, MO - right now they are going with the status quo. May be changes in the future to the general animal code.


Independence, MO - no BSL, the City Manager is working on making the city's Dangerous Dog Law a little tougher. There was a City Council meeting Monday night - without looking at my notes, I believe three people testified in favor of BSL and the rest (about 13) were against BSL. Some of those who testified did not own "pit bulls". There is one City Councilwoman who says she intends to introduce BSL (Renee Paluka-White from District 3, which borders Blue Springs and Lee's Summit) but she doesn't have the votes to pass anything. She doesn't want the "pit bull owners" from Blue Springs (like me!) and Lee's Summit to move into her district.

However, we DO need to keep an eye on things because the city manager received a lot of animal rights type propaganda and is leaning toward automatic speutering of animals that are picked up by the shelter prior to release back to the owner. If you live in Independence, please contact the City Manager (Robert Heacock) and the Mayor/Council and ask them to at least consider a system where owner's fine is forgiven if they VOLUNTARILY speuter their pet. We need to stop this stuff.


Raytown, MO - Raytown formed a Dangerous Dog Task Force with three of their Alderman. We have provided information and they are working on a Dangerous Dog ordinance. They aren't leaning toward BSL. They do have some problems in Raytown, like "dogs barking at night". Raytown and Independence are both discussing a nuisance dog ordinance. ("Nuisance dog". That's redundant - HA!).


Lee's Summit, MO - the Community Development Committee (four Councilmen and one other man) heard testimony last Thursday on Dangerous Dogs. After sitting through nearly three hours of testimony about a proposed smoking ban (restaurant owners, bar owners, caterers, taxicab company managers, and anti-smoking crazies), the Dangerous Dog hearing started at about 9:45 p.m. About 15 people testified, nearly all were Lee's Summit residents who owned American Pit Bull Terriers or AmStaffs, and there was one LS resident who owned Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs who testified (BIG thanks to her!), as well as a couple of KCMO residents who testified. All testified against BSL.

There was one individual who testified in FAVOR of a ban and she identified herself as a Veterinarian, even though the AVMA has a clear policy against any type of BSL! She was wearing scrubs (my vet would NEVER wear scrubs to testify before a committee) and made some comments that can only be described as bizarre and did not sound like anything a vet would say. She said she lived in LS but practiced in "south Kansas City". She would not give the name of a practice. She said her name was "Elizabeth Stokes" - there is only one Elizabeth Stokes DVM listed with the AVMA and she is in Madison, WI. That clinic has been notified that someone else may be using Dr. Stokes' name. If anyone knows who this mystery vet might be, or if she practices under a different name (like a maiden name) please contact Russ Krohn at ttkck1@swbell.net.

The LS Community Development committee will meet again next week in Lee's Summit but right things look positive. They don't have a 'pit bull' problem.


Blue Springs, MO - They didn't jump on the bandwagon. We live in BS and sent letters to thank them for not acting stupid. It's driving the local newspaper (The Eastern Jackson County Examiner) crazy and they've written an article about Blue Springs in an effort to try and stir people up and get them to call the city.


Overland Park, KS - OP has had a "restrictive ordinance" that places restrictions on the "pit bull" breeds since 1987. The Public Safety Committee rubber stamped a ban at the bequest of City Attorney Mike Santos and sent it on to the city council, recommending approval. The city council sent it BACK to the Public Safety Committee and asked them to study it further. One councilwoman said that it appeared that this was being rushed through for political reasons. :-) Different people have been providing OP with information on dangerous dogs ordinances and dangerous dogs in general. The OP City Council meets next week - please have residents call the Mayor and Council members and ask them to replace the current restrictive ordinance (BSL) with a generic vicious dog law. Bite statistics showed that they have a lot of Border Collie bites and a disproportionate number of small dog bites (you don't need to mention that - just state that OP doesn't have a "pit bull" problem
based on bite statistics. I don't like to single out other breeds and that information is only provided here for comparison purposes).


Oak Grove, MO - One alderman brought BSL up and the Mayor reminded him that the city has a Dangerous Dog ordinance.


Gladstone and NKC - right now I don't know what's going on up there and haven't had the opportunity to check. A friend of ours is supposed to be checking into those two cities. Hopefully they backed down after Independence didn't go with BSL. If anyone knows anything about "Happy Rock" or NKC please contact Russ Krohn at ttkck1@swbell.net



Rolla, Missouri - Rolla isn't local (it's southwest of St. Louis) but it doesn't look as though they are going to do anything with BSL so please don't write, call, or send emails.

Kim Krohn