When Animals Attack
Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson is considering an ordinance that would limit ownership of pit bulls and possibly ban them. This comes in the wake of a pit bull attack that left a two-ear old girl hospitalized.
I don’t know if an ordinance banning pit bulls is the way to go. The Indianapolis Star reported today that an 11-year old girl was attacked by a bulldog and a boxer while walking to the nature center at Holiday Park.
Currently there is an ordinance on the books that already makes owners responsible when animals attack and it is not breed specific. In addition there are penalties for unlawful use of a dog as well.
I do think the law needs to be toughened with the increase of a fine and penalty. In addition, I am not in favor of a hard and fast “one bite” rule. I do believe we should look at the situation let the facts do the determination. It’s one thing if your dog bites someone unprovoked. It’s another thing if the drunk neighbor climbs over the fence and the dog thinks he’s an intruder. There should be tough rules when it comes to animal attacks, but we should not lose sight of common sense.
