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Show NSL woman tells council her Staffordshire is not 'vicious' By JUDY JENSEN NORTH SALT LAKE The court case pending against the city's ci-ty's new vicious dog ordinance was not resolved in time for Melanie Walker to avoid being fined $250 for allowing her Staffordshire bull terrier to be unleashed in North Salt Lake. Ms. Walker asked the city council coun-cil last week to reconsider the breed specific ordinance that names the Staffordshire bull terrier, ter-rier, as a vicious dog. The Woods Cross resident explained that she took her dog to work in North Salt Lake and the dog was picked up when she got out during a thunderstorm. thunder-storm. "The press has lumped all of the bull breeds into one category. I'd like my dog taken off this vicious dog list," she said. She produced documents indicating in-dicating that there had never been a reported bite involving a Staffordshire Stafford-shire bull terrier. "This ordinance is unfair. I'm being charged $250 because she's called a vicious dog. Any dog can be vicious," she said. City attorney, Kent Christiansen explained to Ms. Walker that the North Salt Lake ordinance is currently cur-rently being challenged in court by the American Dog Breeders Association. Asso-ciation. He advised the council not to discuss the Walker case to avoid future problems. "Don't confuse us with the facts, our minds are made up. Isn't that what you mean?" asked Mrs. Renee Greenwood. Mrs. Greenwood Green-wood is vice president of the association asso-ciation that filed suit against the city. She is owner of Greenwood Kennels in North Salt Lake. The kennel breeds pit bull terriers, another of the breeds named in the ordinance. The lawsuit contends that the ordinance is unconstitutional unconstitu-tional as it names specific breeds of dogs. "They are guilty by birth." said Mrs. Greenwood, who was attending the meeting to hear how the council would respond to the Walker matter. She suggested to the council that they could repeal the ordinance. Mr. Christiansen said the city is willing to have the court decide the constitutionality of the ordinance and that a pretrial date was scheduled sche-duled for Sept. 13. Until the court rules otherwise, the ordinance is in force and Mr. Christiansen explained the only way Ms. Walker could fight the $250 fine would be through the courts. I |