Search
Advertisement
  • Nov 14, 2007 5:51 pm US/Central
  • Digg | Facebook | E-mail | Print

Animals Lovers Help Form Dangerous Dog Ordinance

Reporting
Darcy Pohland
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― Minneapolis is one step closer to tightening restrictions on dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs. The city council got feedback from the public on plans to increase fees, make tougher rules and restrict ownership of dangerous dogs.

 That feedback also came from dog lovers who hope to help shape the new ordinance.

 "Any dog can be a dangerous dog in the wrong hands regardless of breed," said Underdogs Rescue director Shannon McKenzie.

 However, the dogs getting the most attention recently for gravely injuring or killing their victims are pit bulls and similar so called bully breeds.

 "That's all they want to do is please people and unfortunately, when they get in the wrong hands that's turned against them and that's how they're taught to be aggressive," said McKenzie.

 "People create them to be dangerous to protect their drugs and protect their home and that's really sad and that has to be stopped," said Downtown Dogs Daycare owner Anne Hendrickson.

 That's why the Minneapolis City Council is now considering preventing convicted felons from owning dogs weighing more than 20 pounds.

 "Limiting legal access to people with felony record to those types of dogs will help the public, will help the dog breeds, will help the people that have dogs of those breeds that are responsible," said McKenzie.

 Downtown Dogs Daycare provides foster care to pit bulls rescued by Underdogs from Minneapolis Animal Control.

 "We feel an obligation to help the dogs that are less fortunate," said Hendrickson.

 In 2006, only two dangerous dogs were put down in Minneapolis; this year there were 53.

 So those working to protect pets from cruelty and the public from attack want a crackdown.

 "I think any change that facilitates the focus on the responsibility of the pet owner versus the dog or the breed is a positive change," said McKenzie.

 Underdog Rescue helped provide recommendations for the new dangerous dog ordinance. They also place dogs they rescue in adoptive homes after they're trained.

 

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

From Our Partners

Video

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

WCCO Programming

Top News Stories

Advertisement

© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.