New Pit Bull Regulations in Hays
By Grant Meech (HAYS, Kan.)
"He is a good dog..."
Dunbar likes being outside and being around people, but Kayleen Geist's 13-year-old pit bull is now a dangerous dog in Hays.
The Hays city council voted to define pit bulls as dangerous Thursday night.
"$50 is a little steep for registering your pet, but to actually have him in the house and have him still - they could have banned pit bulls altogether," said Geist. "I feel lucky they are even trying to compromise."
Hays defines dangerous as any dog with a tendency to attack or cause injury to people, has a vicious or threatening manner or kept solely for the purpose of dog fighting.
"It is sad to say but there is a typical type of person that could own a pit bull and you think they have a bad reputation which is not true at all," Geist said. "It is all in how you raise a dog."
The biggest complaint owners had was the singling out of pit bulls against other dogs.
"I am not opposed to this ordinance," said one pit bull owner at the meeting. "If my dog got out and bit another dog or even killed another dog; there should be stiff fines for that. That is what this ordinance against dogs should be about, not trying to pick out one specific breed."
Hays would also require owners to keep the dog on a leash at all times and build a fence or an enclosure at least six feet tall.
Geist said she wasn't thrilled about it but it could be worse.
She added, "at least they are going to let us still have our pets."
The Hays city council voted down an idea that would have required Pit Bull owners to buy insurance for their dogs.
http://www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=11497219
