March 25, 2011 update: Unfortunately, BSL passed in Kirksville.   While our thanks go to Mayor Kuhns for voting against BSL, the rest of the Council appears to have been hellbent on ignoring the overwhelming evidence of the inefficacy of breed-specific legislation, instead subscribing to the hysteria, skewed statistics, and junk science of the opposition.   Going forward, we will certainly be avoiding Kirksville and will not patronize any of its businesses.

Editor’s note: There is a wealth of information nationally and internationally that breed-specific legislation (BSL) does not work.   Please write the Kirksville Mayor and City Council here and politely inform them that BSL offers only a false sense of security since it is well known at this point that BSL in ineffective, unenforceable, and unconstitutional .

From the Kirksville Daily Express:

Pit bulls and other “vicious” [quotes added] animals are once again in the citys sights as a draft ordinance was debated Monday during the councils study session.  

…We cant do anything about cancer or the war in Afghanistan, but we can do something to make our citizens just a bit safer, said council member Richard Detweiler.

Detweiler and council member Martha Rowe agreed the proposed ordinance should be approved, in order to prevent a tragic attack or loss of life involving a pit bull or other vicious animal.

Mayor Todd Kuhns and council member Carolyn Chrisman argued while they certainly supported public safety, specifically targeting a dog breed might not be the most effective or popular tactic.

My goal is to have safer and more responsible owners, Chrisman said.

Kuhns, expressing doubt of where the ban would eventually end, said he would have to remain a dissenting voice.

It seems like were gradually just sliding down a slippery slope and I think were missing out on the fact that pretty much any dog could be vicious, he said. Kuhns added he supported the vicious animal provisions in the draft ordinance, but suggested removing the sections regarding any specific breeds…

Read this article in its entirety here.