Here is the form letter used to express disapproval of BSL in Fall River:
To:
City Council President William F. Whitty
Councilor Alfredo P. Alves
Councilor Joseph D. Camara
Councilor Patricia A. Casey
Councilor Raymond E. Hague
Councilor Bradford L. Kilby
Councilor Thomas Kozak
Councilor Leo O. Pelletier
Councilor Linda M. Pereira
Ladies and Gentelman,
I am writing to you out of concern for your city’s pending legislation regarding Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. Banning breeds is not an effective way to control issues within the city, as the problem is not the dogs themselves, but the owners. No where will you find published data, in valid scientific studies, that supports the idea that either breed is a "killer canine."
Fall River already has some strong legislation on in it’s possession.
From the Revised Ordinances for the City of Fall River, Chaper 6, Article 1, Section 6-6: No owner or keeper of any dog shall permit such dog to run at large at anytime.
From the same section: "Every owner or keeper of a dog shall exercise proper care and control of their dog so as to prevent said dog from becoming a public nuisance. All dogs shall be kept under restraint, as defined in this chapter, including all dogs on any public properties including parks, playgrounds, or cemeteries. Every ownershall exercise proper control and care of his/her animals to prevent them from becoming a nuisance animal."
This Article gives the City the power to control loose dogs. Not only does the city have that power, but also the broad power of enforcement, as defined in Chapter 6, Article 1, Section 6-10: “The dog officer (animal control officer) or any police officer of the City of Fall River shall be enforcement officer of any violation of this article.” Therefore, additional manpower is not needed to stress the city’s budget to enforce the existing laws, as ANY Police Officer is able to enforce the Article.
In addition, the City has excellent definitions of what constitutes a Dangerous dog, Chapter 6, Article 1, Section 6-1:
Dangerous or vicious dog shall mean:
(1) Any dog which, according to the records of the appropriate authority, has inflicted severe injury on a human being without provocation on public or private property.
(2) Any dog which, according to the records of the appropriate authority, has killed a domestic animal without provocation while off the owner's property.
(3) Any dog owned or harbored on property known for drug trafficking or gang activity.
(4) Any dog which when unprovoked, chases or approaches a person upon the streets, sidewalks or any public or private property in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack.
(5) Any dog with known propensity, tendency or disposition according to the records of the appropriate authority to attack unprovoked, to cause injury, or to otherwise threaten the safety of human being or domestic animals.
(6) Bites or attacks any persons
I would strongly encourage the Council to consider signiticantly increasing the fines/penalties listed in Chapter 6, Article 1, Section 6-12, both for Leash violations and for Dangerous dogs. Increase the leash violation to $100, and the Dangerous dog penalty to $250. Those who violate the common-sense laws of the City certainly should pay for their stupidity. However, responsible dog owners should not be punished for the irresponsible actions of others. Increase the enforcement of existing laws.
As well, consider applying your pending legislation ONLY to those dogs deemed dangerous, as outlined above. There is no sound basis for punishing an entire breed, and studies show this does not work in controlling dog bite incidents. Specific dogs and specific owners need to be targeted, not whole populations.
One of my puppy owners lives in your city. His Rottweiler is a certified Search and Rescue dog, as well as a certified Cadaver dog. This dog has been deployed in both local searches, and as far away as the Hurricane Katrina areas. Your pending legislation will severely penalize both the dog and owner, when they have done nothing wrong, and in fact, are model citizens of the canine community.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Download
Form letter
