As expected, the Newark, Ohio City Council voted in its Monday, December 16, 2013, meeting to drop the ‘vicious’ label for “pit bulls” who have had formal training and pass their Canine Good Citizens (CGC) test.   Once “pit bulls” have fulfilled these requirements, they no longer have to fulfill the requirement of a “dangerous” dog, meaning they can go out without a muzzle and their owners no longer have to purchase expensive tags or special insurance.

Newark still has a breed-specific law (BSL) in place with which others in the dog lobby, myself included, do not agree.   As noted in a prior post, making concessions to those who have already negated your constitutional rights by unfairly labeling your “pit bull” ‘vicious’ with no proof, (including not even the ability to be able to discern what is and is not a so-called “pit bull,” which is what BSL does) is like negotiating with terrorists.  

Newark Police Chief Steven Sarver also didn’t much like the new ordinance Newark passed but for different reasons.   Sarver claims the new ordinance would be a nightmare to enforce.   Well that’s particularly true of breed-specific legislation as well.   All the more reason just to have a dangerous or vicious dog law for all dogs no matter what the breed.  

In fact, non-breed-specific dangerous dog laws make law enforcement’s job much easier and unlike breed-specific legislation, which as Denver and Miami-Dade can tell you actually increases dog bite-related hospitalizations, dangerous dog laws actually reduce dog bite incidences.  

Come on Newark.   The state of Ohio no longer declares  so-called “pit bulls” vicious.   Why do you?