Community Safety #1
Cincinnati, OH - Last summer, pit bull advocates were chattering about Cincinnati overturning its pit bull ban. The chattering was not only false, it came about just as Cincinnati unveiled the country's first "Pit Bull Police," a special unit of police officers trained to identify pit bulls so that the dogs can be handled and impounded immediately. The unit was designed to enable officers to act instantly, instead of waiting for the SPCA to arrive on scene.

Last week, Cincinnati took another step toward strengthening its pit bull ban. The city doubled the penalties of its existing ban. When the stronger ordinance becomes effective in a month, people convicted of keeping, breeding, selling or transferring ownership in any way of a pit bull will face up to six months in jail, double the previous 90 days. The changes apply to any dog owner not grandfathered in when the pit bull ban was reinstated in November 2003.

Council members also increased the amount of liability insurance required for pit bull owners from $50,000 to $100,000, which places Cincinnati's requirement inline with Ohio State law. As far back as last April, Jim McNulty, president of the Westwood Civic Association, has been seeking stronger enforcement and stiffer penalties of the existing ban. McNulty was also a member of the city's Vicious Dog Task Force, created in 2007 to suggest changes in the law.

Thank you Jim McNulty, for your perseverance and passion to help protect Cincinnati citizens.

Related articles:
06/06/08: Cincinnati Police Kill Two Pit Bulls in Separate Shootings in Same Day
04/16/08: Residents Say Not Enough Being Done About Pit Bulls