Lakewood Patch Readers: End the Pit Bill Ban

Lakewood Patch readers say it’s time to end the ban on breed-specific legislation.

By a wide margin.

In Ohio, pit bulls are no longer “vicious” animals, according to a new state law that went into effect on Tuesday.

But that did little to change Lakewood’s ordinance, which considers them both dangerous and vicious. 

We asked Lakewood Patch readers on the matter.

The vote was lopsided, with 89 percent (528 votes) in favor of ending the ban, and 10 percent (63 votes) in favor of keeping it going.

(It's also important to note the that rolled in)

The statehouse voted in the Ohio Revised Code, declassifying pit bulls as “vicious animals” at the state level.

However, it does not apply to local municipalities.

Under the new law, a dog can be labeled vicious only if it kills or causes serious harm to a person while unprovoked.

Kevin Butler, the 's law director, told Lakewood Patch earlier this year that Lakewood’s 2008 ordinance deeming all pit bulls and canary dogs as “dangerous animals” would stand.