Pit Bulls Banned In Grosse Pointe Shores: Here's What To Know

GROSSE POINTE SHORES, MI — Pit bull dogs are now banned in Grosse Pointe Shores, months after a brutal dog attack.

City council members narrowly approved the measure specifically banning pit bulls in a 4-3 Tuesday night vote. The ban is expected to go into effect sometime next month. It was unclear if the ban applies to any mixed-breed dogs.

The ban will not apply to residents who are already licensed pit bull owners in the city. But those owners must meet a list of requirements that includes maintaining a 6-foot fence, keeping pit bulls on a leash and a possessing a $100,000 liability insurance policy in case the dog causes any damage or injuries.

The ordinance says residents are not allowed to own or possess "vicious dogs" that are deemed as "one that bites or attacks a person, or a dog that bites or attacks and causes serious injury or death to another dog while the other dog is on the property or under the control of its owner."

Pit bull is not an actual dog breed, but a term generally used to describe a group of different dog breeds that share similar physical characteristics. The breeds typically used to describe a pit bull include the American Bully, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog.

The conversation leading to the controversial ordinance was prompted after a pit bull attacked a small dog back in June in Grosse Pointe Shores. The small dog had to have its leg amputated.

Once the ban was proposed, more than 300 people signed a petition against the ban, calling it discrimination. In addition, most people who spoke during the meeting were against the ban.

"I'm a licensed vet tech, I've been in the field for over 10 years and I have been faced with many vicious animals in my years and majority have not been pit bulls," one woman said.