PETA, Avon Lake Official Comment On New Lakewood Pit Bull Law

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood has repealed its controversial pit bull ban and Mayor Mike Summers has proposed new legislation that would place restrictions on that breed and others. The new legislation has drawn the attention of officials at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and an Avon Lake City Councilman.

The proposed ordinance would remove the ban on any specific dog breed, but there would be requirements for how certain dog breeds are handled both at home and in public.

PETA’s Animal Care and Control Issues Manager Teresa Lynn Chagrin emailed Summers on Tuesday, sharing her thoughts on the possible ordinance. Chagrin sent over a list of things she said the city should keep in its ordinance. That list included: require that pit bulls be spayed and neutered, without exception; prohibit dog chaining and caging (including long-term crating indoors, which can cause frustration and aggression); and require owners to keep pit bulls indoors unless they're being walked by a trained adult with a leash and secure harness.

"No one blames the dogs themselves for the current crisis, but it's the duty of decent people who care about them to try to resolve it," she wrote.

But not everyone is excited about the proposed legislation. In fact, Avon Lake City Councilman David Kos took aim at Lakewood officials, criticizing them for using his city's legislation as an example for the new ordinance.

“Three out of the four news channels that I saw this on, they stated that Lakewood was basing their law on Avon Lake’s law,” Kos said, according to the Morning Journal. “And for the record, I take exception that Lakewood is stating that this is based on Avon Lake’s law primarily because our law is not breed specific."

Summers did specifically cite Avon Lake as an inspiration for his proposed legislation. The Avon Lake legislation does not make specific mention of a breed, but it does allow the city to proclaim certain animals nuisances, and to monitor animals that come into the city; clauses that Lakewood's ordinance adopted.

Photo from Shutterstock