20 Year Ban On Pit Bulls Could Be Lifted In Ottumwa
How could you not love this little guy?
For the past 20 years the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, has had a ban on pit bulls. City council members are considering lifting that ban, which was instituted back in 2002 according to KCRG.
The ban was originally put into place after a toddler was attacked by her family's pit bull KCRG reports. The city has labeled pit bulls as dangerous placing them in the same category as lions, tigers, and bears. Is there anyone in all of Iowa who would really consider owning a bear? I have a hard time believing that.
A poll has been posted on the city's Facebook page and community members can make their voices heard. They can vote on whether they are a fan of the ban or not, as well as vote on if animals classified as dangerous should be microchipped. Ottumwa community members have been fairly outspoken on social media trying to end this 20-year ban. There's even a Facebook page in place to change the Ottumwa pit bull ban. It's called Coalition to end Ottumwas pit bull ban.
One of the goals City Manager Phil Rath would like to accomplish is clarifying the language surrounding what exactly a dangerous animal is. Rath would like the law to be easier to understand, as well as enforce according to KCRG.
It is my opinion that you can be attacked by any type of dog breed. It feels as if pit bulls have an unfair stigma surrounding them. I have multiple friends that have owned pit bulls and they've never had a problem. It all comes down to who the owner is. If you don't train your dog properly, or care for them, they can hurt people. That's any dog breed, not just pit bulls.
There should almost be a class you have to take in order to own a pet. Just like you need to take a driver's test to drive, you should have to pass something to be a pet parent. I've run into way more dangerous humans in my life than I have dangerous pit bulls.