OCR Text |
Show Pit bull ordinance spurs I continued controversy in NSL in the city opposing the vicious dog ordinance. City attorney Kent Christiansen explained to Mr. Van-dercook Van-dercook that the city had been sued and they had to proceed with the court action unless the Greenwood suit was dropped. The discussion was ended at that time. prevent going to trial," he said. "I think the Greenwoods would drop the suit if the city would come up with a non-breed specific ordinance," ordi-nance," he said. Mayor Simmons denied that the city is importing witnesses to appear at the trial. "These people "Your law is a harassment to dog 1 owners. No dog is born vicious. The actions ac-tions of the dog are due to irresponsibility irrespon-sibility of the owners." When contacted later, Mr. Van-dercook Van-dercook accused the city of wasting wast-ing taxpayers' money on the court action. "I heard they are flying an expert witness here from Kansas City and he charges $10,000 a day. We just need a little bit of reasoning from the city manager. We hope to are mistaken. The city plans to use witnesses, but certainly not someone some-one we have to fly here and pay exorbitant amounts of money." Mayor Simmons explained that at this point, the city has no choice but to defend itself in court against the suit that is pending. By JUDY JENSEN Editor NORTH SALT LAKE The subject of pit bulls was discussed once again by the city council, although it was not on the agenda at last week's meeting. Mayor Jake Simmons granted a special request by Bob Vandercook to address the council and provide them with "additional information about pit bulls," to help the city re-evaluate their breed specific dog ordinance. Mr. Vandercook, a Syracuse resident, re-sident, is a pit bull breeder and state representative for the American Amer-ican Kennel Association of Responsible Re-sponsible Dog Owners. He claimed that the North Salt Lake vicious dog ordinance is impossible to enforce. en-force. When the ordinance was passed last year, the American Dog Breeders' Association, led by Ralph Greenwood, a North Salt Lake resident at the time, filed suit (O'jainst the city claiming the ordi-ance ordi-ance is unconstitutional. The suit claimed that since the ordinance named specific breeds, including the pit bull, as being vicious vi-cious dogs, that it was unconstitutional. unconstitu-tional. The trial testingthe constitutionality constitu-tionality of the ordinance is scheduled sche-duled to be heard Dec. 1. Mr. Vandercook told tne council that the requirement of the ordinance ordi-nance that any owner of a "vicious" "vi-cious" dog must hold a $100,000 liability insurance policy is impossible impos-sible to follow. "Not even Lords of London will issue such a policy," he said. He explained that the only policy available to dog owners is a home owners policy in the amount of $10,000 "and if your dog is labeled as vicious, the policy is cancelled," he said. "Your law is a harassment to dog owners. No dog is born vicious. vi-cious. The actions of the dog are due to irresponsibility of the owners," own-ers," he said. "If you would just put in force your simple leash law, that is all you would need," he said. Mr. Vandercook presented a petition to the council that he claimed was signed by dog owners . |