Pit Bull Law: Triggers Rampant Abandonment

Friday, March 30, 2012

Ashley Klann, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Capone's owner is worried about the puppy changing once it has to wear a muzzle in public places

Three out of five abandoned dogs in Worcester are pit bulls, a statistic that has been brought on by last year’s ordinance that forces pit bull owners to muzzle their dogs, pay an additional fee, and neuter or spayed their dogs.

Worcester’s Animal Control has seen an increase in the number of abandoned pit bulls due to the ordinance, and local animal rescue shelters maintain that breed-specific legislation is both expensive and difficult to carry out.

Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme said, “The Worcester Police Department has seen an increase in the number of dogs that would fall under the definition of pit bulls. In fact the animal control officers report that three of every five dogs that they take off the streets are pit bulls. The primary reason the officers give for the increase in abandoned pit bulls is the cost to have them spayed or neutered."

"The officers also report that pit bull licensing is down because of the cost of mandatory spading and neutering. There is also a long wait at the animal rescue league because, as it is reported to us, the veterinarians can not keep up with spaying and neutering," said Chief Gemme.

“The Worcester Police Department’s Animal Control Officers have seen an increase in the number of abandoned pit bulls as defined in the Ordinance,” said Christina Andreoli, spokesperson for City Manager, Michael O’Brien.

Chief Gemme remains hopeful that the ordinance will be effective in the future, "These are some of the short term challenges that we are facing but the long term impact of the ordinance change may result in a safer community, more responsible ownership, and better treatment of the animals."

Many at local shelters remain doubtful.

The Number of Affected Dogs

Under the new ordinance, pit bulls must be registered with the City Clerk. The number of pit bulls in Worcester that have been register is 145.

GoLocalWorcester went to the Clerk’s Office to count the number of registrations, because they are not kept electronically.

Misidentification

Besides there being an uncertain number of registered pit bulls in the city, distinguishing the breed can also prove difficult, making the ordinance more problematic.

“I don’t think it’s even clear what a pit bull is anymore. We have a lot of dogs that fit the general description of a pit bull, which we call a pit bull mix – that’s what the general public understands. But a genetic test would suggest that they’re anything but,” said Pam Peebles of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center in Springfield.

“It would be really difficult to enforce. We worry about it being used against good owners taking care of their dogs, compared to some being chained in their backyard. It hasn’t proved to be enforceable anywhere nationally, so we don’t think it’ll prove to be successful in Worcester,” she said.

Springfield faces issues similar to Worcester in being an urban area.

“In city environments like Springfield and Worcester, there is more of a population of these dogs that look similar and there will be more problems brought on by that,” Peebles said. “Sadly, it could be an issue of someone saying that this big headed, broad, deep-chested dog is a pit bull, but it might be a lab mix.”

“The vast majority probably aren’t pit bulls. Their numbers are probably skewed or collected in a way that would not be entirely correct.” Peebles said, judging by what she has seen nationally in cities with these laws. “It needs to be handled based on the facts of the situation not the breed.”

A Shelter’s Perspective

Acting Director of the Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL), Allie Simone, also believes that the city’s efforts are going to waste.

“We don’t support breed specific legislation because it’s ineffective and very expensive for a city,” she said. “When we were talking about this a year and a half ago, we decided the issue of dangerous dogs does need to be addressed, but penalizing this breed of dog for the breed and not their temperament doesn’t solve anything.”

The WARL has been temporarily acting as the primary shelter for Worcester, and when asked about an increase in the number of pit bulls at their site, she said, “We did take in more calls, but a lot of this had to do with landlord restrictions and housing restrictions.”

Under the ordinance, pit bull owners must also get written permission from their “landlord, lessor, property owner, or the duly authorized agent thereof for the presence and housing of the pit bull…” The property owner must then submit written permission to the City Clerk within ten business days, causing more difficulties for dog owners.

Adding Insult to Injury

In the wake of this new and controversial law against pit bulls, Worcester’s primary shelter has also seen some changes and issues.

Near the beginning of the month, Barton Brook Kennel in Leicester, which used to be Worcester’s primary shelter, was told by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture that they could no longer shelter animals, due to their lack of non-profit status.

Owner, Pat Dykas, said that their numbers of pit bulls did not change, but that the law remains relatively new.

While she maintains that every animal that is not vaccinated or licensed should be impounded, she isn’t sure if the law will be easily carried out.

“It is pretty hard to enforce,” Dykas said. “I think it gives animal control more to work with. They don’t have any easier of a job. They can only do so much. Not to mention answering complaints. I think it’s just the sheer number of pit bulls.”

Dykas believes that there should be a law in place against these dogs, but says that not all of them are aggressive.

“I’ve seen these dogs in action and I would say that it’s probably a good idea. Not all pit bulls are like that, but for the majority of them and people who don’t know how to control them. Why put somebody else in danger? Some we handle have never been on a leash let alone a muzzle. It’s not the dog, it’s who’s handling them, but that goes for any breed.”

Barton Brook Kennel is still dealing with their licensing issue, and has been working with area shelters to make room for the animals that they had been taking care of.

“It was just another little bump. We didn’t anticipate it at all. We were working with other shelters. We were aware of not being able to adopt them out. It was their idea and they set us up with other places. It was kind of a glitch that we didn’t anticipate. Had we known, we could have taken care of it sooner,” Dykas said.

GoLocalWorcester contacted several members of the City Council over several days and no one returned calls on this issue.