It is the job of John Doe Politician to protect the members of their community and "big boys" like you are not doing anything to protect the children that do get mauled. The fact that most pit type dogs don't maul or kill does not negate the suffering of the victims who are attacked. It is ridiculous to argue that it is okay for children or anyone to suffer these maulings so that you pit lovers are not inconvenienced. If you don't want bans, then offer some real solutions. But all you "big boys" who use language like that to defend your ownership of pits just indicates that perhaps you need for your dog to provide your own "big boy" image.

Oh Qwen.... ye of little brain cells. Your argument is about 20 years too late. Since you seem to know it all, then why dont you know it all yourself right onto google and search the terms "generalized dangerous dog ordinance". Its a little something that HSUS, ASPCA, American Veterinary Medicine Association, American Humane Association, AKC, UKC, RSPCA, Animal Farm Foundation, LA Animal Foundation, The Center For Disease Control and Prevenetion, and Best Friends Animal Society came up with a couple of decades ago. It takes the focus/ liability off the individual animal and places it where it belongs: On The Irresponsible Owner (who abuses his/ her dog, neglects the dogs needs, trains the dog to fight, trains the dog to attack, chains the dog in the backyard for MANY YEARS at a time, neglects the dogs medical need, over breeds the dog for their own personal profit... thus creating a dangerous animal in the first place.)
Cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, St Paul, Sacreamento and several others have been using them for years. Funny thing, incidents in those cities are far and few inbetween.
Ya wanna go toe to toe with me about the absolute fallacy that the is inherently more dangerous than other breeds? Bring it...

Unlike the sever mis-informed like yourself, Ive done my research for years and can say without a doubt that the breed WAS NOT ORIGINALLY BRED FOR FIGHTING... rather, hearding live stock in the Bristish Isles circa 1500ad, The Pit Bull breed(s) are 110% incapable of locking their jaws, The breeds dont "suddenly snap" nor do their brains swell, and (get your little crayon and paper ready)... 9.5 out of 10 times the media [newspapers or tv news] reports a "PIT BULL ATTACK"... it doesnt even involve a pit bull at all.
(I can hear the squeaky gears turning... am I right? )
"THEN WHY DO THEY REPORT IT AS A PIT BULL WHEN IT WASNT?" Would you tune in or pick up a paper with the headline "Pit Bull Sleeps on Couch" or "Unknown breed Attacks Child?" No, of course not... because you are sheople and are a victim of the US MASS MEDIA. You want to hear about blood and gore and death. Your attention span stretches to MAYBE your finger tips and you wouldnt read or listen to a story without the hype and sensationalism. As long as those that are thick between the ears (like? YOU!!!) keep reading or tuning in, the media will keep on ramming mis-information and SENSATIONALIZED stories down your throat.

If you GENUINELY want to do the public a service (instead of playing the part of internet heroism)... turn off your computer and go OUT THERE and meet a responsible pit bull owner and meet their dogs. Grill them with questions, ask about Canine Good Citizen Certification, ask what other breeds their dog plays with or EVEN lives with, ask what their typical day consists of (oddly, it will sound IDENTICAL to that of a Labradore or German Shepherd or Yorkie or Healer owner) and... if you dare... get down on the ground and introduce yourself to the dog and vice verse. BE CAREFULL THOUGH... you might get licked to death or hugged into oblivion.

How do I know the results of this endeavor? Been there/ done that/ brought back the tshirt... and I am the owner of 6 dogs (1 great dane, 4 pit bulls, and 1 Aussie/ Border Mix) and speak from PERSONAL HANDS ON experience. The trouble maker in our pack is the Aussie... and even she is kept under control 150% of the time.
Our pack is well fed, they are taught the rules and boundaries, they have no medical needs, they are NEVER chained up in the back yard, they are socialized with people (yes, even children) and other animals daily, they get too much exercise (if there is such a thing) and they are included as part of our family.

Until you KNOW FOR A FACT what you are talking about and have done actual research and experienced personal hands on experience, you are nothing but an ugly internet troll begging for attention.

Ya wanna go toe to toe with me on the roll of politicians when it comes pit bulls and public safety? Bring it on. I warn you though, you will crawl away bloody. You are the nothing. Ive gone at it with city officials from So Calif to Florida and their argument is always the same: a complete failure and it reveals they have public safety least on their agenda. All they know is they want to get re-elected and creating fear and then getting the problem as far away from the community as possible will get keep them in office.
Lets use Denver, CO as an example since widespread fear and legislation specific to Pit Bulls started in Denver in the late 1980's. Get Your Crayon Ready Again: The ONLY reason Denver continues to enforce a Pit Bull Ban is their Home Rule Authority. They have no credible experts, they have no valid documentation (at least none that hasnt been slanted or tampered with), they waste $803,170 annually on an ordinance that has been PROVEN ineffective, ALL major animal welfare organizations denounce Denver and their BSL practices, and the city is continuously sued for their ban (and yes, they lose 99% of the time). Ive engaged their city council and mayor and their argument dwindles down to the same thing every time: "We are a Home Rule City and no one will tell us what to do". THATS IT, no more. No leading animal behaviorists, no factual statistics, no legitimate polling of their registered voters, NOTHING. Just ego.

You, by your own definition are a troll. You know nothing. Pit bulls were not created until the 1830s. There are other older fighting breeds from other countries, but in britain - 1830s. And yes I know that for a fact. Look it up.

Your 9.5 of 10 pit bull identifications wrong? Prove it. There is no such research.

Every single community that has BSL also has generalized dangerous dog laws that cover all other types of dogs - it is not an either or proposition. Look it up.

Here's a list of Large and small cities with successful BSL. Please note, these are NOT interest groups these are CITY LEADERS, POLICE CHIEFS, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, and MUNICIPAL LAWYERS who are saying that BSL is a proven success, these LAWS WORK, are AFFORDABLE, and provide an IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE for citizens. Every single listing is cited and sourced if you have an doubts.

http://blog.dogsbite.org/2010/06/cities-with-successful-pit-bull-laws.html

Hospitalizations Resulting from Dog Bite Injuries -- Alaska, 1991-2002, compiled by Louisa Castrodale, Int J Circumpolar Health, 2007 Sep;66(4):320-7.

Nonfatal Dog Bite--Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments --- United States, 2001, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 2003; 52(26): 605-610.
Incidence of Dog Bite Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments (1992-1994), by Harold B. Weiss, MS, MPH; Deborah I. Friedman; Jeffrey H. Coben, MD., Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), 1998:279-1.

Dog Bites: How Big of a Problem?, by Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B, Injury Prevention, 1996; 2:52-54.
Mauling by Pit Bull Terriers: Case Report, by Baack BR, Kucan JO, Demarest G, Smoot EC, Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care, 29(4):517-520, April 1989.

Pit Bull Attack: Case Report and Literature Review, by Steven F. Vegas, MD, Jason H. Calhoun, MD, M. Eng., John Mader, MD, Texas Medicine, Vol. 84, November 1988.

Bites, Animal (Catastrophic Pit Bull Attack Injury), by Alisha Perkins Garth, MD, Coauthor(s): N Stuart Harris, MD, FACEP, eMedicine, Updated: June 25, 2009.

Omental Free-Tissue Transfer for Coverage of Complex Upper Extremity and Hand Defects--The Forgotten Flap, by Iris A. Seitz, Craig S. Williams, Thomas A. Wiedrich, Ginard Henry, John G. Seiler and Loren S. Schechte, PubMed, March 25, 2009.

Head and Neck Dog Bites in Children, by Angelo Monroy, MD, Philomena Behar, MD, Mark Nagy, MD, Christopher Poje, MD, Michael Pizzuto, MD, and Linda Brodsky, MD, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 140, 354-357 2009.

A Ten-Year, Two-Institution Review of Pediatric Dog Attacks: Advocating for a Nationwide Prohibition of Dangerous Dogs, by Jugpal S. Arneja, MD, FRCSC, Kara Pappas, B.S., William Huettner, M.D., Arlene A. Rozzelle, M.D., Gurbalbir Singh, M.D., FRCSC., American Association of Plastic Surgeons - 2008 Annual Meeting

Pitbull Mauling Deaths in Detroit, by Cheryl L. Loewe MD, Francisco J. Diaz MD, and John Bechinski DO, The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol 28, December 2007.

When medical professionals, trauma care surgeons, doctors, nurses, hospitals and medical institutions have done independent, peer reviewed studies, they all find the same things. Pit bulls inflict a disproportionate number of severe maulings and maimings and deaths. And their maulings and maimings are infinitely more severe than any other kind of dog.

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs, by John K. Bini, MD, Stephen M. Cohn, MD, Shirley M. Acosta, RN, Marilyn J. McFarland, RN, MS, Mark T. Muir, MD and Joel E. Michalek, PhD; for the TRISAT Clinical Trials Group, Annals of Surgery, April 2011 - Volume 253 - Issue 4 - p 791–797

Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Stays Involving Dog Bites, 2008, by Laurel Holmquist, M.A. and Anne Elixhauser, Ph.D., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD., November 2010.

Pediatric Dog Bite Injuries: A 5-Year Review of the Experience at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, by Kaye, Alison E. M.D.; Belz, Jessica M. M.D.; Kirschner, Richard E. M.D., Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, August 2009 - Volume 124 - Issue 2 - pp 551-558.

Debbie: With all due respect, it is quite obvious that you are yet another person who speaks as though she knows what she's talking about, and yet speaks nothing but inaccuracies, myths, and untruths. It seems you're talking solely about "pit bulls" bred for dog fighting. What you obviously don't know is that, while some "pit bulls" are bred to fight other dogs, those same "pit bulls" are also specifically bred not to attack humans. This is because humans are standing around everywhere during fights and the owners of the dogs have to get in the ring to break up fights. Again, fighting dogs are bred NOT TO ATTACK HUMANS! Also, how in the world can you breed a dog to not give a warning? That's so ridiculous. Warning signs include stiff raised tail, raised hackles, direct eye contact, snarling and sometimes barking. Again, I ask, how can you breed these things out of a dog? Can you breed a dog not to raise its tail or raise its hackles? No. Also, a dog does not suddenly get an instinct to do anything. Instinct is inate - built-in. Not something he suddenly acquires. Perhaps you can do a little research and educate yourself before you comment again. For those of us who actually know what we're talking about, or who own and love "pit bulls", that's not too much to ask.

hey dimwhit, I MEAN DEBBIE... where do you find this crap? Wickipedia? You are NOT in Rescue. You know NOT what responsible Pit Bull owners are all about. You know NOT a damned thing about me or my dogs.
YES, I admit it... my dog WILL BITE. They have been trained to protect themselves from anyone abusing them (ie beating on them, trying to steel them, anyone tormenting them, etc). Have they ever bitten anyone? No, not in the past 4 years since I have had them. Have they shown signs of attacking? Absolutely... when an aggressive dog approaches them and is picking a fight... they are MORE THAN CLEAR ON THEIR INTENTIONS.
They are also CGC certified and visit school children (yes at the permission of their parents, teachers and school districts) where we teach being kind to animals, responsible ownership, how to properly interact with dogs, and what ignorance (you know lots about that) can do to a community.
You need to pull your head out of your own ass and learn some true facts about a breed prior to jumping online and spewing your ignorance for the world to see.

THE chef is a moron. He claims, "YES, I admit it... my dog WILL BITE. They have been trained to protect themselves from anyone abusing them (ie beating on them, trying to steel them, anyone tormenting them, etc)."

How exactly do you "train" your dogs to bite if abused? Right.

Kristi - The way you do that is the way you breed for any behavior. You breed the dogs that best show that behavior. Dogfighters weren't geneticists or even smart. They just bred the dogs that could get the job done the best.

here is a video of two pit bulls that show no sign that they're going to fight before they begin to fight. They barely seem to be paying attention to each other, in fact before they attack (and yes the shelter workers are idiots):
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-dog-fight-memphis-animal,0,1443142.story

The ACT of rushing up stabbing repeatedly and hacking off chunks of flesh is what is illegal...not the knife you use to do it with.

Does that give you a clearer understanding?

Its also illegal to drive while under the influence, however cars are not outlawed.

The 'instinct' that you refer to has been (repeatedly) removed from [legal] argument by scientists across the board. There's no such thing as a monogamy gene—or, for that matter, a gene for altruism or aggression.

"It's a very interactive interdependency among genes, environment, and behavior." - Marla Sokolowski

Jo... YOU KNOW I am on the same page, but for credibility sake... can you supply a a URL where that quote was pulled from? You know me, I am all about dropping the power bomb of knowledge and verifiable facts on those who find themselves intellectually challenged in our modern times.

Debbie - you finally said something right, i.e., that "pit bulls" are the choice of dog fighters for a reason. I'm quite sure, however, that you have no idea what that reason is. The reason is that they are easy to train. They are smart, loyal, more eager than any other breeds to please their owners, and less likely to attack their human owners even while being abused, tortured, and neglected. I wish that people who have no idea what they're talking about, and still feel compelled to spew ridiculous statements on internet blogs would become instinct - and soon!

Sorry Chef, I haven't followed this over the weekend! I was out in the world enjoying my pit bulls! lol ;-)

But yes, I can provide a link to the genetic study that I quoted above:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/genes-behavior.html

Even if we were to lend a second thought to the anti-pit haters of the world Chef, and believe for a moment that the breeds piled into the lump term pit bull were inherently dangerous, this study also illustrates how environment and nurture sparks the variables feeding the genetic reasctions.

Also, another study released last year (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952313,00.html) denounces the theory that anti-pit haters constantly spew on the general public about how for generations these dogs are bred to be the vicious dog-killing-machines that they want the public to see them as (to further their campaign(s) to eradicate the breeds). This study shows that within a single generation of reproduction, genetics are affected by environment/nurture.

These are just two studies that have been released that absolutely denounces the 'inheritance' argument. But they're both extremely clear and precise that there is NO validity to their 'old' argument!

and we need a "gun-toting time share," too.

Debbie - "the total pit bull experience", huh? Well, I own a pit bull. I've had her for 5 years now. She was rescued from a fighting ring. I have and/or still do volunteer for pit bull only or pit bull friendly rescues. My dog - who is an AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen - and I attended pit bull only training classes which included a dozen pit bulls and their owners in 1 small room for hours. I am an attorney, who for the past 2 years or so, has specialized in pit bull issues, including BSL. In doing so, I have spoken with pit bull experts all over the country (people who actually know what they're takling about, including doctors, Ph.D.s, behaviorists, trainers, published authors, etc.). My husband, who is also an attorney - and I have been successful in getting BSL overturned in Toledo, OH, one of the worst places for these breeds in Ohio. I have reviewed thousands of documents from cities all over Ohio discussing bites caused by dogs, including pit bulls. I think that qualifies as the "total pit bull experience". Simply put, you're wrong and uneducated about this topic. Stop blogging about it.

Peter... I believe she is not spam... rather another mis-informed lemming from the www.Dogsbite.org camp of ignorance and propaganda.

Pit bull promoters often use diversionnary techniques. What does it matter if I post a lot? I've trying to educate the public, since the pit bull promoters are happy with misleading propaganda. At least I use my real name.

I don't try to mislead anyone. And I'm very different from the pit bull promoters. I truly care about dog welfare. Pit bull promoters only care about themselves. The suffering of pits doesn't even appear in their radar, the suffering of the pit's victims (dogs, cats, children) doesn't make them bat an eye. More pits, more suffering dying pits, hey, no problem!
A honest pit bull promoter would say "I'm happy and that's all that matters" .

Dimwit (Debbie)... first of all, Im not selling concert tickets.... there for I am not a "promoter". What I am is a resonsible multiple Pit Bull owner who advocates the breed and responsible ownership of the breed.
As for diversions... not once have I strayed from the topic. YOU DIMWIT are the one who keeps attempting new arguments when FACTS shut you down.

Everything that girggles out of your mouth is misleading. Nothing you have said is based on facts while EVERYTHING pro-Pit Bull/ responsible ownership advocates have shared on this thread is pure, unadulterated fact... verifiable even.

As for caring about ourselves... you are correct. ALL we care about is ourselves, and our dogs, and ALL DOGS and safety in the community. You betcha... we are selfish to the core. As in... if someone like you dropped dead tomorrow from a mass corniary... too bad, so sad, bye bye. There would be one less Nazi in the world trying to kill off which they have not a clue about.

Do us a favor... go back to the 1950's where you belong.

Chef: ALL PIT BULL OWNERS tether their dogs? ALL PIT BULL OWNERS train their dogs to attack? ALL PIT BULL OWNERS are gang bangers, drug dealers, thugs or white trash?

I never said any of those things. I do say that the pit bull breed is unpredictable, because pit bulls were bred to be unpredictable.

Watch the Russian fox videos. Watch any herding dog demo. These are instincts and behaviors created by humans thru selective breeding over the generations. FACT.

I have personally seen a pit bull go from calm and friendly to biting and not letting go. It is not the dog's fault. He was bred to behave that way.
Unless your dream is to have the best fighting dog, the pit bull fighting instincts are no longer needed. Let them gradually become extinct.

No one has ever said to me "I really need to find a Tweed Water Spaniel, that's the only breed for me". The TWS was an early ancestor of the Golden Retriever, that officially is now extinct. Extinct isn't so bad. Being treated the way pits are being treated now is very bad.

Dobes and GSD's never were acquired/suffering in the numbers and for the horrible uses that pit bulls are now.

Yes you did in implicating that ALL PIT BULLS ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND TRAINED TO ATTACK. Those are not traits known to the Pit Bull Breeds at all. Those traits are trained into them by irresponsible owners... there for if ALL PIT BULLS exibit a certain behavior (BREED WIDE)... then all Pit Bulls were trained to do so by irresponsible Pit Bull Owners... so in fact you are saying ALL PIT BULL OWNERS are the bad element and have trained ALL PIT BULLS to exibiti certain behaviors.

(This isnt even fair... someone give me a REAL opponent in this argument)

well, sort of. Propaganda is blatant lies and mis-information while modern day spam (not the kind some people eat) is typically marketing scams. But I see your point... its both a whole lot of noise that our society could do without.

You are right, I would not like my neighbors to have a T rex behind a flimsy fence or chained to a tree. But I guess you are saying that would be fine with you?

sen·sa·tion·al·ism   /sɛnˈseɪʃənlˌɪzəm/ Show Spelled[sen-sey-shuh-nl-iz-uhm] Show IPA
noun
1. subject matter, language, or style producing or designed to produce startling or thrilling impressions or to excite and please vulgar taste.
2. the use of or interest in this subject matter, language, or style: The cheap tabloids relied on sensationalism to increase their circulation.

The context in which " T REX" is used... I dont think you could have hit the true definition of sensationalism any closer.

Nice try... We're still not buying your BS.

You do realise that some donosaurs were only 6 inches tall and ate only vegatation. Funny how you came up with a t-rex, always going for the badest of the bad. If I lived next door to you, I might change my mind an get one of them big lizzards instead.

All nice information but it ignores the real fact that when a pit bull type dog does attack it is more likely to be a severe mauling or fatal than if a Golden Retriever bites someone. I would rather be bitten 10 times by a Chihuahua than once by a pit bull. How about you?

Should we ban Black Labs? I never said to ban a dog. I said spay/neuter.

I think the black lab that attacked you should have been spayed or neutered, too.

Nic wrote: contact me and I will pay for you to fly out to NY

Instead, how about posting on CraigList "will take your unwanted pit bull types and not euthanize them, but will find them good longlasting homes."

In most communities pits are being killed or turned away to fates worse than death. Best Friends, well known for Dog Town, turns away thousands of animals every month (email/phone call). There is no hope for many pit bulls. Pits are breeding much faster than good homes can be found, faster than shelters could be built. Free, mandatory spay/neuter microchipping is the kind answer.

Even the ATTS says it is not a predictor of future behavior. From the ATTS website: "The pass-fail rate is not a measure of a breed’s aggression." Guess a breed that passed with 100% of the dogs tested? The American Tunnel Terrier, but only two dogs were tested in 2010. Not an predictor of future behavior!

It was a group originally formed to test dogs for protection abilities. Some of the testers coach pit bull owners on how to prepare for the test and recommend that those who suspect their pits won't pass, do not have their dogs take the test.

If EVERY dog of every breed was required to be tested, then the precentages would matter.

Re: the "nanny dog" nickname. Why is it that every pit bull website says that children never be left unattended with a nanny dog? Isn't that an oxymoron?

What is causing suffering and death to pit bulls is folks like you repeating that nonsense...telling the general public that this is a nanny dog has resulted in the deaths of many poor pit bulls and the mauling/deaths of some kids, too. I've been asking and waiting for someone to list where the words 'nanny dog" were used in history and no one can come up with an answer. That name is a recent addition to the pit bull propaganda.

We need to ban bad people who abuse these dogs.

Great, on that I agree. How do you propose we do that?

@ Lauren... THIS is exactly the type of message breed ban cities need to hear. That they are losing out on sane and productive members in their community because of their own ignorance and ill-gotten fear. You and yours (and your integrity) are welcome in our pack anytime.

Chef David Edelstein
and Team Pit-a-Full
Denver, CO
www.TeamPitAFull.org

Sorry you had to leave your job. My suggestion on addressing the pit bull crisis is to require spay/neuter, not to confiscate or ban.

When the owner of the dog says his dog is a pit bull, I'm inclined to believe him.

When someone compares small dog bites to pit bull bites, I realize we are NOT talking about the same subject. Many children are bitten by other children, probably more than are bitten by dogs. But few children bitten by chi's or other kids need airlifted.

Debbie, apparently along with your inability to decipher fact from myth, you also have trouble with reading comprehension. The dog in question was a BOSTON TERRIER. The owner knew this and informed the authorities of this. The authorities, who were probably just as uneducated as you are, claimed the dog to be a pit bull, even after the owner provided DNA test results.

Hey Dimwhit... I believe the popular answer was given above (popular = the views of every animal welfare organization globally.)
Do you purposely ignore facts and direct comments or is your comprehension just THAT POOR?

nice attempt at mincing two seperate comments into one for your own BS. we are STILL NOT buying.

http://www.stopk9profiling.com/calgary.php
Calgary's approach facilitates a 5 million dollar annual operating budget, at NO cost to the taxpayer. Licensing is at 98%, Zero euthanasia for population control, and a huge drop in bite stats while doubling their populous. I am sure there are people out there that will find things wrong with the Calgary Model, however I feel it is worlds better than what we have in place here in Lakewood. I have been sending the Lakewood City Council all the information needed, to no avail. Others need to step up and get active. Being vocal online is wonderful, but it takes us, as a community, to say we won't accept this any longer, if we want anything to change.

Steve, Cleveland's rewrite and going breed neutral is awesome! The only problem with using it is Lakewood City Council always says they want proof of what works and with Cleveland's ordinance being new, I have a feeling they would try to use that against going with it or at least refuse to look at it if we bring it to them as a guide to follow. Calgary has a proven track record, (as do many other breed neutral Cities), and that is why I brought it up.

Joan, what will be the consiquences if/when HB-14 passes through the senate and signed by the governor, as it seems to reflect the cleveland ord. Will that trumph Lakewoods Ord.?

Peter - I think I can shed some light on the Home Rule discussion. Ohio's Home Rule Doctrine can be found in the Ohio Constitution (Article 3, Section 18 I believe), which essentially provides that a municipality (such as Lakewood) can pass laws which do not conflict with the laws of the state of Ohio. So, if someone from Lakewood said "we make our own rules regardless of what state or federal laws/rules state", that is absolutely false. For example, in my opinion (and this is part of the bases for one of the lawsuits currently pending against Lakewood), the fact that Lakewood requires all pit bulls to be muzzled while off the owner's property conflicts with Home Rule and is therefore unconstutitional because under Ohio law (O.R.C. 955.22(D)), an owner is not required to have his pit bull muzzled while off his property as long as the owner follows theother specified requirements. So, in every other city in the State of Ohio (except those with simillarly unconstitutional ordinances as Lakewood), like my city, I can walk my pit bull down the street without a muzzle and it is legal to do so, but if I bring my dog into Lakewood and walk her down the street without a muzzle, it's illegal. That, by definition, is a conflict with state law. Another example can be found in O.R.C. 955.22(D) which permits my pit bull to be secured in my locked, fenced yard while on my property. Lakewood, on the other hand, requires all pit bulls to be confined in a pen with 6' sides, etc.

That's the correct email. If you copied and pasted it, try typing it in. Sometimes that works. lakewood pittie committee @ live . com :) Look forward to hearing from you!

Joan. I tried to reach you at the above address, but it came back. Is that the correct e-mail???
lakewoodpittiecommitte@live.com

I see the problem, left of an e. My apologies.

Steve - just a reminder that home rule authority varies from state to state. So, what may violate home rule in Ohio may not violate home rule in Colorado, for example. That's because whether a violation exists depends on (1) the language of the state Constitution at issue; and (2) the laws of the state at issue. Obviously, these things are or may be different from state to state.

@ Sarah Kuhl... WOW!!! Could this world use about half a billion of your clone or what? Not many of us are willing to genuinely draw a line inthe sand and HOLD THAT LINE. Sarah... answer me this: I believe we all start off very equal and on the same plain in life. We all have birthdays, we all have family and friends, we all have life experiences, hopefully we all get the opportunity to get a decent education and get jobs and start families of our own. Where does this sub-culture stray? Its as if they got differnt text books than the rest of us. Its as if they attended some OTHER critical thinking and philosophy classes. OR... is it a matter of they are incapable and standing back from ANY social issue and examing ALL possible reasons/ particulars/ cause/ solutions/ etc? Humans are allegedly the top of the food chain, opposing thumbs, standing/walking up-right, etc. Yet, some have the intelligence level LOWER than a single cell. How does this happen if we all start off as equals?

I just dont get it. The lack of basic mathematics, the lack of basic logic. Do people go out of their way to figure 1+1= 540? Or is it instilled into them with basic fear and "shoving one's head in the sand" as the government and media tells them to?