Taking a bite out of danger

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

By Kevin Amerman - Times Leader - PA.

Dog ordinance in Reading worked; Wilkes-Barre City Council interested.

WILKES-BARRE – City officials have tried to implement more stringent rules against pit bulls, but have said state law prohibits them from drafting breed-specific ordinances.

But a city about 80 miles away has found a way around the rule and has passed an ordinance that has successfully cracked down on pit bulls, reducing attacks and dogs roaming at large.

“There’s a way you can do it that works,” said Karel Minor, executive director of the Humane Society of Berks County.

Minor explained that in the late 1990s, a large number of pit bull attacks in Reading influenced city council there to enact measures without naming a breed.

The city passed an ordinance stating that any breed that accounts for 40 percent of reported dog bites on humans or animals in any year in which 30 or more dog bites occur will be declared an aggressive dog and will be subject to stricter rules for at least a year.

“Theoretically, it could be applied to Chihuahuas if Chihuahuas started running amok,” Karel said with a laugh.

In the first year after the ordinance passed, there were more than 30 dog bites in Reading and pit bulls were responsible for more than 40 percent, so they were regulated, Minor said.

Under the ordinance, pit bulls were forced to be muzzled and kept on a leash when not on their owners’ properties. Additionally, owners had to post an 8½-by-11-inch sign on their homes’ windows, saying they own a dangerous dog. They also had to place a special tag on their pit bulls, identifying them as aggressive, and were ordered to obtain permits at a cost of $50 per spayed or neutered dog or $500 for each pit bull that wasn’t sterilized.

“That alone can change behavior,” Minor said of sterilization.

Violation of the ordinance could result in impoundment of a dog and fines ranging from $100 to $1,000.

“The problem went away,” Minor said, noting that there was not strong opposition to Reading’s ordinance and no one has challenged it in court.

After five years of strict rules, pit bulls in Reading are no longer labeled aggressive dogs because the city’s total dog-biting incidents have fallen below the ordinance’s thresholds.

Dog bites went from 130 in 1999 to 34 in 2003, Minor said.

“There’s been a significant decrease in bites across the board,” he said. “It’s really been effective.”

Several pit bull attacks in Wilkes-Barre, including one last month, have caused city officials and the police chief to call for stronger rules against the dogs.

But city council has been handcuffed by state law prohibiting breed-specific ordinances, Solicitor Tim Henry has said. He was told about Reading’s ordinance by a reporter Friday and was forwarded a copy of it, but wouldn’t immediately comment on it. He did say Reading’s ordinance would be stronger it had been challenged in court and upheld.

Council President Tony Thomas Jr. said the board would like to review Reading’s ordinance.

“If they have an ordinance that’s working, we’ll take a lot at it,” he said, noting the board would likely give it to the local SPCA for review.

Minor said the ordinance is so effective because it targets “bad dogs and bad owners.”

“Any breed has traits that are unique to the breed,” Minor said. “Labradors are goofy and like to fetch. Large dogs like pit bulls are bred for animal aggression and with bad owners can be twisted to be aggressive toward humans.”