No pit bull ban in Taylorsville

After arguments on both sides were heard, Taylorsville officials have decided against an ordinance that would ban or restrict pit bulls within the city.

“Enforcing a breed-specific ordinance becomes problematic,” council chair Jerry Rechtenbach said. “Currently, there is no legislation pending on this issue.”

On Oct. 18, a concerned Taylorsville resident briefly spoke to the council, requesting that they look into banning pit bulls. She said she had several neighbors who also wished to see the breed banned. She told the council that she knew of three recent attacks by pit bulls within the city. The council requested that she bring her neighbors to the next meeting to speak during the citizen comment time.

At the next council meeting, on Nov. 2, the concerned resident returned with several of her neighbors. They spoke to the council about an incident when two pit bulls had burrowed under their fence into the adjoining elementary school lot, causing the school to be evacuated until the dogs were caught. The residents also told about two neighborhood pets that had been killed by pit bulls. They requested that the council ban pit bulls to make the city a safer place.

At the same meeting, over a dozen residents, mostly pit bull owners, voiced their opinions against such a ban. Several spoke about how their pit bulls were a part of their family. One resident, who was not a pit bull owner, told of how she had been attacked by a three different breeds of dog in her life, but never a pit bull. She said that she was against any ban that picked one breed out as dangerous. Taylorsville resident Charles Christopher told about the therapy work his pit bulls do with the ill and the elderly. “They will crawl up into the beds with the people and lie with them, to offer comfort and companionship,” he said.

Two animal welfare groups, the Humane Society of Utah and Best Friends Animal Society, sent representatives to give presentations at the meeting. Both groups are strongly against what they call Breed Specific Legislation, or BSL. Both animal welfare groups stated that BSL is very difficult to enforce, is unfair to good dog owners, and is ineffective, noting that dog attacks do not decrease in cities where BSL is in adopted. The Best Friends Animal Society projected that it would cost Taylorsville $80,000 in the first year alone to enforce such a ban. Their numbers were based on information from South Jordan, the only Salt Lake County city with such a ban. Both groups said that identifying pit bulls is very difficult--that there are 20 breeds that are often misidentified as pits. Both groups suggested that Taylorsville strengthen its vicious animal laws, but avoid singling out any specific breed.

Taylorsville officials have decided that this is the best choice for the city. They will not be adopting any restrictions on pit bulls, but will be reexamining and strengthening current legislation.

“I support stronger vicious animal ordinances that send a clear message to pet owners,” Mayor Russ Wall said. “In Taylorsville, we will not tolerate vicious animals.”