Editor’s note: Flemingsburg’s existing breed-specific ordinance isn’t working so they’re going to consider an outright ban which also won’t work?   Please write the Flemingsburg City Council by contacting the City Clerk, Joy Roark — joyroark@altiusbb.com — and politely tell them that “pit bull” isn’t a breed and that breed-specific legislation in any form is unconstitutional, ineffective, and unenforceable.

From the Ledger Independent:

City council members unanimously voted Monday to amend a current animal ordinance to ban ownership of the pit bull breed of dogs within city limits.

According to Mayor Marty Voiers, the ordinance previously allowed pit bulls to be within city limits, but required the animals to be registered and for owners to maintain insurance.

“We allowed the dogs, but registration and insurance had to be maintained,” he said. “If something happened, the dogs were taken away.”

Voiers said the council chose to amend the ordinance after receiving numerous complaints about incidents involving the dogs.

“We have had numerous complaints about the dogs running lose and we’ve had incidents with people being chased and bit,” he said. “The council thought it would be best to ban the dogs before something more serious happened.”

Voiers said everything else in the ordinance, which also bans keeping pigs, swine, hogs, poultry and bee hives within city limits, remains unchanged.

Voiers said the first reading of the amendment was passed unanimously.

According to Voiers, the penalty for continuing to harbor a pit bill after the ordinance is passed, is $250.

“If someone is found to have a pit bull on their property, they will be asked to remove it,” Voiers said. “If they don’t, the (Flemingsburg) police will remove the dog and the owners will face a fine.”

Voiers said the ban will begin 30 days after the second reading of the ordinance is passed, which will likely take place during the next regular meeting on June 10.