Registered voters in Salina are receiving a ballot asking them to vote to repeal or retain the breed specific ban which makes owning a dog that may have pit bull features illegal.

Salinans benefited from an Issues Forum on this topic where we heard from key individuals.  Alan Jilka, former commissioner, told us that the institution of the breed specific law (BSL), back in 2004, took place after a series of dog bites including an attack on a young child. Jacob Woods, City Manager, told us that challenges, and I suspect costs, of administrating the ban lead Animal Services to request review of the breed ban multiple times. Each time the City Commission declined to alter the policy.  The issue festered.

Finally we heard from Midge Grinstead, KS Director for Humane World for Animals, an individual with over three decades experience in animal care including management of Lawrence’s animal shelter and state-wide education and advocacy.  She was the community and animal care expert on the panel.  Listeners to the video of the hearing would do well to focus on what she said.  She shared that her community had experienced a dog attack on a child very similar to the one in our town.  She then described the policy responses they instituted, which included targeted policy on owners who did not comply with leash and confinement laws, anti-tether laws, breeding operation laws. Animal Services Officers had what they needed to respond to aggressive and threatening dogs and dogs that bit citizens.  That city’s incidence of animal bites fell.

Grinstead shared that Breed Specific Laws are not effective and, in fact, multiple agencies have gone on record against them including the American Humane Society, American Veterinary Medicine Association, and the National Canine Research Council.

The ban still holds attraction for many, in spite of the expert reports.  It’s what we’ve always done.  Note that we don’t trade safety away if we get rid of the ban. But the City of Salina owes it to citizens to make sure our vicious dog policy includes those key features Grinstead listed.

My personal feeling is that getting rid of the ban may free up Shelter staff to attend to more important animal policy issues in our community if they aren’t continuously full of dogs that are hard and expensive to place.  Taxpayers might get more bang for their buck, too.

Vote Yes to Repeal the Breed Specific Ban.

Janet Hanson

Salina, KS

_ _ _

A video of the Issues Forum on the Repeal of the Breed Specific ban can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phzJ7vc3vDU