Greenwood revises pit bull ordinance
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in GSD Online
In a long anticipated move, the Greenwood Board of Aldermen struck down a mistake commonly made in many municipalities when they unanimously voted to drop the Breed Specific Legislation language in Greenwood’s dangerous dog ordinance. Politicians in Greenwood have long been on the record that they do not believe specific breeds are necessarily dangerous dogs. In fact, it was the source of a citizen submitted question in the 2008 Candidate Forum where candidates unanimously responded that they were against any laws which targeted specific breeds. The revised ordinance is now Dog Specific rather than Breed Specific.
The resolution of this issue was a pleasure to observe. The system worked from start to finish. It may have taken nearly a year, but the Board of Aldermen responded appropriately to what has been a common misconception about the American Pit-bull Terrier perpetuated by our mainstream media. Greenwood is now one of the leading small communities in the area with regard to dog legislation. One of the hurdles necessary before the revision of this ordinance was the recently completed Animal Control contract with the City of Lee’s Summit. With that agreement in place, it enabled the Board to move quickly.
Complete copies of the ordinance may be obtained at City Hall for $.10 per page. The Dispatch will attempt to make an electronic copy available on our website.
