Denver Overturns 30-Year Ban

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Homeowner credits pit bull for saving his life during attempted robbery in Kansas City

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.
November 21, 2015

A pit bull is being credited this week with defending a homeowner during an attempted robbery in Kansas City, Mo.

The homeowner says the pit bull, named “Blue,” defended the home during a robbery attempt Thursday on the 2000 block of E. 82nd Street.

Read the whole story here: http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/homeowner-credits-pit-bull-for-saving-his-life-during-attempted-robbery-in-kansas-city

Boonville, Missouri Overturns BSL After 18 Years

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Mayor breaks tie on new dangerous dog ordinance Boonville Mayor Julie Thacher’s vote broke the tie (four to four) to ultimately approve the new dangerous dog ordinance, which releases a ban on pit bulls in Boonville. By Edward Lang, Managing Editor Posted Jul. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Jul 21, 2015 at 10:51 AM […]

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What They Should Have Told Me When I Rescued My Pit Bull

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They said, “He’s strong, about 67 pounds, and he’s a puller but with some training he’ll be great.” Okay, I thought. Easy enough. But what they should have told me was something entirely different. What they should have told me was this:

This is an adventure.

Welcome to the best years of your life.

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Pit Bull Bans Disappearing

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Firefighters needed an ax and a pike pole to pry the snarling pit bull off of 71-year-old Jimmie Mae McConnell’s torn and bloody body.

That fatal dog attack in 2006 led to calls for tougher enforcement of the now-24-year-old pit bull ban in Kansas City, Kan., while prompting other area cities to tighten their restrictions on a breed known for its muscular build and savage bite.

Yet thanks to research that shows little correlation between fatal dog bites and the breeds of the dogs inflicting those wounds, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., is now considering what would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

Unified Government commissioners this month will take up a comprehensive animal-control ordinance that repeals the ban on pit bulls.
Instead, the proposed policy would impose new rules and restrictions aimed at preventing dog attacks without regard to breed by focusing on the behavior of animal owners and their pets.

Read more here: In a quiet trend …

Roeland Park considers lifting pit bull ban

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ROELAND PARK, KS (KCTV) – September 23, 2014

The city of Roeland Park is considering becoming the latest area municipality to lift its pit bull ban. Some council members believe it makes more sense to have a ban on dangerous animals rather than a breed specific ban.

In January, Bonner Springs lifted its pit bull ban. Kansas City allows pit bulls, but they have to be spayed or neutered. Independence and Kansas City, KS ban the dogs. Kellie Maschmeyer hopes Roeland Park joins the effort to outlaw the bans. She had to give up her 4-year-old dog, Chloe, when she moved to Roeland Park in February because of the pit bull ban. “I was horrified because we had been looking at other places to live and most of them don’t have the pit ban,” she said. “(Giving up Chloe) was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” Maschmeyer, who had owned Chloe since she was 11 weeks old, said pit bull owners are not a danger to society and deserve to have their dogs. She said she’s been bitten by a boxer and border collie.

Councilwoman Jennifer Gunby proposed lifting the breed specific restriction, which has been on the books since the late 1980s.

Michael Berney, who owns a golden retriever and a lab, supports the ordinance change. He said it’s more important to focus on specific dogs with issues rather than a specific breed. “I think when you pick on one breed it’s going to make their image look a lot worse,” Berney said. “If you raise them mean, they’ll be mean no matter what kind of breed they are.”

Opponents of the ban say even little dogs can be dangerous.

A council committee could discuss the change on Oct. 6 and then the council vote the following week. The proposal includes other changes to the city’s regulations of dogs and would adopt feral cat language. Currently, anyone in Roeland Park with an American pit bull, American Staffordshire terrier or Staffordshire bull terrier face a fine of $200 to $500 and up to 30 days in jail. Each day is considered a separate violation. The city will also impound any pit bulls.

Copyright 2014 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved

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Additional links:

Bonner Springs reviewing ordinance after family dog seized
Bonner Springs lifts ban
Wellsville considers lifting ban

Attitudes and Laws Against Pit Bulls Soften

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March 11, 2014
By BILL DRAPER
Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For much of the past three decades, pit bulls have been widely regarded as America’s most dangerous dog — the favorite breed of thugs, drug dealers and dog-fighting rings, with a fearsome reputation for unprovoked, sometimes deadly attacks.

Hostility toward “pits” grew so intense that some cities began treating them as the canine equivalent of assault rifles and prohibited residents from owning them.

But attitudes have softened considerably since then as animal activists and even television shows cast the dogs in a more positive light. The image makeover has prompted many states to pass new laws that forbid communities from banning specific breeds. And it illustrates the power and persistence of dog-advocacy groups that have worked to fend off pit bull restrictions with much the same zeal as gun-rights groups have defeated gun-control measures.

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Loyal Pit Bull Acts as Seeing Eye Dog for Brother

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Huff Post Good News 11/18/13

Pictures are worth a thousand words, but this one might just leave you speechless. Earlier we posted a picture of Jeffrey, who is blind, and his brother Jermaine, who has dedicated his life to be Jeffrey’s loyal guide dog. Here they are as they sleep, holding on to each other. The unconditional love and devotion these two dogs show is positively inspirational. Jeffrey and Jermaine are STILL waiting at shelter Operation Ava in Philadelphia for their hero to come rescue them! Please open your heart and home to them! For more information or adoption inquiries, please contact Operation Ava at (215) 240-1240 or visit their website www.operationava.org.

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