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City of Shreveport Ordinance No. 28 or 2005 will be heard on May 24, 2005. A copy of this ordinance can be found at http://www.ci.shreveport.la.us/council/vicious%20dog.htm#TopOfPage
Ordinance No. 28 specifically targets any Pit Bull Terrier (or Pit Bull Terrier mix) and any Rottweiler (Rottweiler or mix). While the current owners of these dogs will be permitted to keep these animals, if this proposal passes, the city will impose stringent leash and muzzle, and outdoor/indoor confinement restrictions. Animal registration and $100,000 liability insurance requirements would also imposed on the owners of these dogs.
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While Ordinance No. 28 does recognize "companion dog", "canine good citizen" and acceptable "temperament test" exemptions to its leash and muzzle and indoor and outdoor confinement provisions, it does not exempt these animals from registration and insurance requirements.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Breed specific legislation does not work. It ignores the fact that ANY dog can become a problem if its owner fails to train and properly socialize it. Additionally, it undermines responsible dog ownership by blaming the breed instead of the owner.
Breed specific laws:
- Are notoriously difficult and expensive to enforce. There is no scientific test that can differentiate dog breeds or mixes, so identification is purely subjective.
- Do not take into account that the majority of dogs of any breed or mix are not dangers to the community.
- Attract criminals to breeds that are portrayed as aggressive, regardless of their actual
temperaments or historical work. (In World War I bull terrier breeds were among the most loyal and proficient war dogs and saved the lives of thousands of soldiers. In the hands of
criminals these same dogs can be transformed into attack dogs.)
- Do not address the problems, i.e., that the majority of incidents result from violations of other animal control laws (running loose or improper controls or confinement) or from failure to properly supervise children and dogs.
- Give people a false sense of security by categorizing certain dogs as vicious, thereby implying that dogs of other breeds and mixes are safe.
- Are unfair to the thousands of responsible owners of the targeted breeds and mixes and to the dogs that are treasured family pets, valued show and performance dogs, working partners in search and rescue, therapy dogs, or participants in other aspects of canine-human interaction.
- This bill's attempt to register pit bull terriers and rottweilers is overreaching and will create a bureaucratic and public relations nightmare for local animal control agencies. Additionally, these approaches have failed repeatedly across the country where they have created chaos and unenforceable mandates.
- Most of the dogs targeted by this bill are not even registered breeds, but the product of street breeding. There is no evidence to suggest that the registered bull or rottweiler breeds are the ones causing the problems that are targeted by this bill and there is every reason to believe that they are not.
- The only breeders that would be registered under this bill are the ones who are already obeying laws. Thus, all this bill would do is alienate the responsible owners of dogs who somehow fall under its widely cast net.
- This bill implies that a revenue stream will spring forth from people who will instead be pushed underground. It is important that people working on this bill understand that no revenue stream will develop as a result of its passage. Instead, it will become an unfunded mandate.
Mayor Keith Hightower
505 Travis St .
P.O. Box 31109
Shreveport , LA 71130
Email: mayor@ci.shreveport.la.us
District A
Calvin Ben Lester, Jr.
1850 Martin Luther King, Dr. Ste. C
Shreveport, LA 71107
Phone: 318-425-4102
Fax: 318-673-5274
Email: calvin.lester@ci.shreveport.la.us
District B
R.M. "Monty" Walford
P.O. Box 7586
Shreveport, LA 71137
Phone: 318-222-5430
Fax: 318-673-5279
Email: monty.walford@ci.shreveport.la.us
District C
Thomas G. Carmady, Jr.
180 Albany Ave
Shreveport, LA 71105
Phone: 318-746-1700
Fax: 318-673-5271
Email: thomas.carmody@ci.shreveport.la.us
District D
Michael "Mike" Gibson
2025 Southern Ave.
Shreveport, La 71104
Phone: 318-222-2197
Fax: 318- 673-5277
Email: mike.gibson@ci.shreveport.la.us
District E:
Jeffery "Jeff" A. Hogan
P.O. Box 17542
Shreveport, LA
Phone: 318-686-5222
Fax: 318-671-1790
Email: jeff.hogan@ci.shreveport.la.us
District F:
Rev. James Edward Green
3742 Hollywood Ave.
Shreveport, La 71109
Phone: 318-636-1563 Home
Phone: 318-635-7118 Business
Fax: 318-635-7219
Email: james.green@ci.shreveport.la.us
District G:
Theron J. Jackson
610 Texas St, Ste 104
Shreveport, LA 71101
Phone: 318-678-4684
Fax: 318-673-5270
Email: theron.jackson@ci.shreveport.la.us
Cut and paste email addresses (comma version)
mayor@ci.shreveport.la.us,
arthur.thompson@ci.shreveport.la.us,
council@ci.shreveport.la.us,
calvin.lester@ci.shreveport.la.us,
thomas.carmody@ci.shreveport.la.us,
mike.gibson@ci.shreveport.la.us,
jeff.hogan@ci.shreveport.la.us,
james.green@ci.shreveport.la.us,
theron.jackson@ci.shreveport.la.us
mayor@ci.shreveport.la.us:
Cut and Paste email addresses (semi colon version)
arthur.thompson@ci.shreveport.la.us;
council@ci.shreveport.la.us;
calvin.lester@ci.shreveport.la.us;
monty.walford@ci.shreveport.la.us;
thomas.carmody@ci.shreveport.la.us;
mike.gibson@ci.shreveport.la.us;
jeff.hogan@ci.shreveport.la.us;
james.green@ci.shreveport.la.us;
theron.jackson@ci.shreveport.la.us
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