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Date Posted: 10:30:10 03/26/02 Tue
Author: Emily
Subject: Re: Bellevue, Nebraska
In reply to: Dorothy 's message, "Re: Bellevue, Nebraska" on 04:02:25 03/26/02 Tue

here's a link to the newspaper story:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=36&u_sid=349394

The local folks did a GREAT job!

[quote]
Published Tuesday
March 26, 2002

Latest Bellevue measure won't single out pit bulls

BY VERONICA ROSMAN


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The next version of Bellevue's vicious-animal ordinance won't single out pit bulls.

The Bellevue City Council voted 6-2 Monday night to strike any breed-specific language from the proposed ordinance,
then agreed to rewrite the measure to better define what constitutes a vicious animal.

The council's action was met with instant applause from the audience. Most of those who spoke Monday were against the ordinance because it included pit bulls in the definition of a vicious animal, and placed extra restrictions on pit bull owners.

"My daughter dresses our pit bull up and has a tea party with it," said Bellevue resident Angela Thomas. "Just like you can't blame a whole nationality for one person's mistakes, you can't blame a whole breed of dogs."

Also as part of the revision, the council asked the city's legal staff to incorporate several suggestions from the public, including raising the liability insurance requirement for owners of vicious animals from $100,000 to $1 million.

The process now starts over, requiring the council to read the ordinance three times and hold another public hearing.

More than 15 people spoke during the nearly hourlong public hearing on the ordinance. Several speakers were pit bull
owners, concerned that the proposal was cracking down unfairly on responsible pet owners.

Desmond Johnson, who serves in the Navy and lives in Capehart military housing, said he and his wife took the time to socialize their pit bull, have a fenced-in yard and keep the dog on a leash when in public.

By adopting the ordinance, he said, "you are just going to drive the real pit bull problem underground. And us
responsible owners are the ones who will pay."

Other speakers offered examples that not all pit bulls are bad animals. "My 20-pound dachshund would probably tear
you apart if you stepped into my living room," said Bellevue resident William Kuhn. "My pit bull wouldn't know what to
do. He might just lick you."

But not everyone was a pit bull backer.

Bill Joy of Bellevue told of two instances when pit bulls have attacked his dogs, including one pit bull that jumped a
4-foot fence onto a public trail.

"This is a very scary dog in the wrong hands," Joy said.

[end quote]

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