**ALERT** Warrensburg, Missouri

[Rene Allegrini]

Article and link provided by fightBSL group


City Council Studies Four Important Items | digitalBURG.com

Animal Control Measures

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The Warrensburg City Council met at the Warrensburg Community Center on Nov. 27 to study downtown parking recommendations and the implementation plan, the proposed Police Station and Public Works Building, the proposed draft of city financial management policies, and animal control measures.

The issue of Pit Bull Terriors has been in the news lately and several jurisdictions have adopted breed specific bans or controls in their ordinances. City Attorney Doug Harris has been working with Howey to compile data pertaining to vicious dog ordinances.

Howey defined the meaning of a vicious dog to includes growling, charging, or biting another human being or animal.

DeFrain and Councilman Mike Rich have been brought the public protection of Warrensburg residents against vicious dogs to the table at several council meetings.

Howey displayed a list of police calls for dogs at large, animal bites, and vicious dogs in 2005 and 2006 in the City of Warrensburg. The overall statistics show that 43 percent of dogs at large calls involve Pit Bulls and 9 percent involve Beagles. The statistics show that 45 percent of animal bites involved Pit Bulls, 10 percent involved kittens, 10 percent involved Lab Mix, 10 percent involved Chihauhaus, and 10 percent were Unknown Breeds. The overall statistics uncover that residents made 67 percent of vicious dog calls against Pit Bulls.

Harris told council members that a breed-specific ban has its own issues that are subject to court challenges on a variety of constitutional grounds. Harris said that fines assigned by judges for a vicious dog usually range between $50-$75.

Rich asked if there was a way to require proof of liability insurance when certain breeds are licensed. Rich said, "All I am suggesting is to know where they are at, increase fines, and limit the number of them." Rutt said that there is a town that enforces the vicious dog ordinance by applying a $350 fine. He said that got the point across in that town.

Harris recommended a blended approach to the ordinance by keeping the current one but amending it to contain specific breeds presenting danger to the community within the vicious dog definition. The owners would not have to get rid of their dogs, but they would have to license and follow the strict requirements.

Rich spoke to a woman on the phone prior to the meeting who owned a mixed breed Pit Bull and has no problems with what the council is trying to do, just as long as she can keep her dog and the dog is not banned.

The City Attorney plans to bring back changes for the council's considerations on penalty provisions and definitions involving breed specific in the near future


Contact Info

Mayor
Deborah Arwood

Chairman Pro Tem
Don Nipper

City Council

Charlie Rutt
Donna DeFrain
Mike Rich

City Manager - Jeff Hancock
City Offices
102 S Holden
Warrensburg MO 64093
Voice: 660-747-9131 (VITTY)
FAX: 660-747-8927
cgabel@warrensburg-mo.com

[graureiter]

Quote:
"Howey defined the meaning of a vicious dog to includes growling, charging, or biting another human being or animal.
"

I don't understand why growling is included. If a dog is not allowed to give a warning if feeling threatened, it has to go straight to the next step. Biting.

[JonandMichelle]

Jon and I are very familiar with Warrensburg. The spread of breed bans are running rapid in KS and MO right now. Why? Because of VERY irresponsible dog owners letting; allowing their dogs to roam freely. Many of these cases have led to "Pitt Bull" attacks. Two of these attacks were fatal! In one case, a grandmother who was working in her garden was attacked and killed by her neighbor's Pitt Bull. Another, three roaming Pitt Bull's terrorized the city of Independence, MO and ended up pulling a grown man off a riding lawn mower and mauling him to near death. I am NOT justifing BSL by no means BUT the fear factor is in full play in KS and MO. And the media is not helping the situation.

I plan on contacting the abovementioned people to dig deeper in what is going on in Warrensburg. They need to begin enforcing the laws on the books, not inventing new ones.

[Cherry Heart]

Warrensburg is about 40 minutes from my house. I am familiar with it as my sister lives there while she is attending college and so I have been there many times. It is a college town all around. These kids are getting dogs they arent even suppose to have because of rental contracts, then they are leaving them home all day while at school and all night while they go out and party. The dogs are neglected, left to their own, and are turning bad because of neglectfull and ignorant owners. I will be writing the contacts above and letting them know what I think could help with the problem.

[Baxter's Mom]

I wish I had seen this sooner, I use to go there all the time when I was stationed at Whiteman AFB.... This is the same little town were Baxter and the one month old baby meet outside on one of our walks... I have alot of fond memories of this town, fun place to get out and hang with the buddies outside of work. Has anyone heard the status on this meeting? Is there going to be another? I would like to email my military buddies at Whiteman and get some military backing as the military also supports this town finacially.

[Valentine]

ITs so stupid how everyone blames pitbulls! Sometimes they are not even pitbulls they are either mastiffs, american bull dogs, or other breeds that look like pitbulls! I have even made a video about how ANY dog can attack someone if trained to do so. What is going to happen when pitbulls are gone, forever, these punks will start using rotts, and when they are all gone they will use GSDs, then akitas and so on until BSL has killed off every breed and these little punks will be using poodles to attack people!! I've been attacked by a golden lab when i was 10 and i have the scar to prove it on my knee cap..my knee still pops out of place every so often! When I used to volunteer at petland I got bitten by a chihuahua, then by a cocker spaniel on my arm! I have also been attacked by pitbulls...but why? because my cousin beat them, starved them and kept them on a chain all thier lives even out in the freezing -40C weather.