Editor’s note: This ordinance* would regulate 10 breeds (though American “pit bull” is not a breed) of dog!   The “breeds” include the American Pit Bull (Do they mean terrier?   It’s hard to tell!), the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Chow Chow, Doberman Pinscher, Boxer, and Akita.   Certainly this is excessive given that a well-enforced leash law and dangerous dog (owner) law would address all irresponsible dog owners, not just owners of select breeds.   Indeed, Pointe Coupee Parish does not have a breed problem, but rather a free-roaming dog problem and an overall problem with irresponsible dog owners.

Please contact the Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury via the Parish Administrator (whose contact info follows) and politely inform them that breed-specific legislation is ineffective, unenforceable, and unconstitutional:

Mr. Owen J. Bello, Parish Administrator
Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury
P. O. Box 290
160 East Main Street, Courthouse Annex Bldg.
New Roads, LA   70760
Phone:  (225) 638-9556, Ext. 201
Fax:  (225) 638-5555
Email address:   jbello@pcpolicejury.org

From channel 2 in Baton Rouge:

Published: Oct 25, 2010

Eighteen months after three dogs killed a Morganza toddler, the Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury is set to overhaul the parishs animalcontrol ordinance.

On Tuesday, police jurors are expected to begin debating whether to assign fees to owners of potentially dangerous dogs, levy fines to owners of loose dogs and make other provisions based on recommendations from the parishs Animal Control Committee.

…The push to reshape the animal-control ordinance began after 4-year-old Michael Blaise Landry was mauled by a neighbors three boxers on April 10, 2009.  

…In making the parishs animal control ordinance more stringent, [the victim’s mother] Tammy Landry said she hopes the Police Jury will use common sense to make punishments fit violations of existing laws.

We have leash laws on the books, she said. It takes law enforcement to enforce them. In my case, they chose not to do anything.

Animal Control Officer Michel MeMe Meche is on the volunteer animal control committee. He said the parish, especially in the New Roads area, has owners who abandon dogs and those who allow dogs to roam the streets unsupervised…

Read this article in its entirety here.

*Special thanks to Stop BSL and BSL Updates for this alert.