ALERT: Royal City, WA news article

[Rene Allegrini]

Article tries to explain rationale for BSL in this town. Here we go! :0(


Tri-City Herald: Local

Royal City OKs ban on dangerous dogs

Published Thursday, December 7th, 2006
By Lynne Lynch, Herald Basin bureau

ROYAL CITY -- Pit bulls and Rottweilers no longer are welcome in Royal City.

Residents who own these dogs have 30 days to find their pets new homes under a ban on the two breeds that was passed unanimously Tuesday during a Royal City council meeting.

City leaders say the decision was made because of a problem with pit bulls roaming the streets and scaring a few children near Red Rock Elementary School.

There are five pit bulls registered with the city, but Royal City Mayor Justin Jenks said he knows there are more unlicensed pit bulls in the community of about 2,000 west of Othello.




"The real threat is, there's too many kids walking to and fro," Jenks said. "We just need to be proactive."

Other people walking in the evening also had been scared by the group of dogs, Royal City Councilman Justin Brown said.

"When there's two or three, they get that pack mentality going," Brown said.

Red Rock Principal Teresa Eilers said the school called city hall a few times before the Thanksgiving break about dogs hanging out nearby. Although she didn't mention pit bulls as being among the group, she did say that one of the dogs may have been a Rottweiler mix.

No children or school employees were bit by the dogs, she said.

Royal City resident Sena Snyder said the ordinance won't help.

"It's the people who have licensed dogs and who are caring for them who will pay the price," she said.

Dangerous dog restrictions are not unique, as many Washington cities have some form of regulation. But outright bans on specific breeds are rare.

Yakima, Selah, Algona and Enumclaw have bans on pit bulls, while wolves and wolf hybrids are banned on Bainbridge Island, said Jim Doherty, the state Municipal Research Service Center's database legal consultant.

Royal City's plan appears to be the state's first ban on Rottweilers.

"I haven't seen anything on Rottweilers listed," Doherty said.

The ordinance also was passed because of the mauling of a child in the Spokane area, said Royal City Councilman Mike Noftle. He said Royal City's attorney, Jim Whitaker, told the city council that the two breeds were involved with a high percentage of attacks.

The issue came up about two months ago, before a Royal City police officer was nipped in the leg by a pit bull Nov. 4 at a home, said Noftle and Royal Police Chief Darin Smith.

Smith said the police department has not advised the city council on the issue.

According to the ordinance, pit bulls are defined as any mixed or full breeds of American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog or American Staffordshire Terrier.

Royal City doesn't have an animal control shelter and only has three police officers to enforce the current loose dog ordinance, Noftle said.

City residents will be notified about the new ordinance with a letter.

Richland is considering a law requiring pit bull owners to keep a tighter leash on their dogs.

The city council will consider a proposed ordinance Dec. 19 that would automatically label pit bulls as potentially dangerous animals.

The proposed ordinance would require owners to buy a $250 potentially dangerous animal permit, post a sign on their property warning people about their dog and secure insurance or a bond for $250,000.

Owners also would have to keep their dog in a kennel when they were not outside with the animal and the dog would have to be on a chain and wear a muzzle when it leaves the owner's property.

The Richland ordinance is modeled after similar laws in Kennewick and Pasco.

Reporter Chris Mulick contributed to this story.