Web posted
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
City may ban one dog breed
City plans public forum
By JAMES JORDAN
Traveler Editor
news@arkcity.net
Arkansas City may ban the dog breed Presa Canario at its meeting tonight at 7, at City Hall.
The dog is large, aggressive and has been known to kill people, Mayor Mel Kuhn said.
There are eight dog breeds on a list the city is considering, and each of them are some variant of the Pit Bull, which the city has already banned.
They want to do this in order to reduce the number of vicious dog cases. City Attorney Tamara Niles said she gets about one a week in her office. If someone pays their fine in such a case, it would not reach her desk, she said, so there may be more.
Commissioners said they do not want to get into the banning of a lot of breeds of dogs, so they will likely ban this one and make the current laws about vicious dogs stronger.
Kuhn said he wants to be proactive in order to prevent people from being hurt by dogs.
"We don't want to overdo it, but we do want to protect people," he said.
Kuhn said that while some dogs are bred to be violent, often the problem is the owner and not the dog.
Niles said there are no dogs like the one in question in the city that she knows of, but she said it would prevent anyone from bringing one into town.
They also want to make the law stronger as people are now finding loopholes. Some people just keep paying their fines over and over.
Sometimes dogs are taken to the animal shelter. People go back and get them, promising to move them out into the country, but do not do so. Sometimes they get someone else to claim the animal, as another way of keeping their dog that has been cited for being vicious.
Commissioner Scott Margolius said it would be better to make the law tougher, or to enforce it more strictly.
Kuhn said it would be more important to make people more accountable for their animals.
In other matters commissioners are expected to:
* Authorize contract to transfer title of City Ballpark to Cowley College.
Approve a five-year plan for major street projects proposed for funding with KDOT grants and approve submission of application to KDOT.
* Consider charter ordinance to change ex officio member provisions for public library.
* Consider mayor's appointments to city boards.
* Go over any items brought up by the city manager or commissioners.
City plans public forum
City commissioners have scheduled a meeting with the public for 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Arkansas City Senior Center.
The city hopes to have these meetings quarterly. It is a chance for people to talk with the commission about their concerns.
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