Readers Sound Off About Pit Bull Proposal

A measure meant to clarfiy the language in a 2008 ban on pit bulls has .

Lakewood Patch readers — in the community — have let their voices be heard.

Although the legislation was tabled until council reconvenes from its summer break, the discussion on Lakewood Patch continues.

We thought we'd share a few of the best comments.

"Let's get rid of the words "pit bulls" and substitute them for "animals showing dangerous anti-social behavior, such as biting." (I've known some great pit bulls too)" -Sandy

"There are 3 pit bulls on my street. My dogs and husband have been attacked. My husband was severely wounded and underwent surgery We incurred high medical bills and my husband was out of work for 7 months after surgery. The dog had attacked 3 other times before this attack. The homeowners left my husband lying in the street, neighbors had to call 911. I cannot walk north or south on my street without passing a pitbull residence. We still have not been compensated by homeowners insurance but I am so relieved they were Forced to carry that rider on their insurance. The homeowners got to keep their dog. They were to relocate it but snuck it back to their home on my street. They still got to keep the dog. These dogs affect the neighborhood as a whole, no other "pets" are afforded such run of the city. I can honestly say with the number of pitbulls in my neighborhood, I am always nervous walking my street." - Jill Gefert

"There is NO way to visually identify a Pit Bull. I have 4 dogs, all of which have been identified as a Pit Bull at one time or another. 1 is a Pit Bull. One is a mix that was labeled a "Pit Bull" by the pound vet. I did a DNA test on her and.....she is NOT a Pit Bull. One is a Springer Spaniel. With a short "field cut" she was identified as a Pit Bull, despite the long ears. One is an "Olde English Bulldogge." This one is almost always called a Pit Bull despite the fact that she is far stronger than most Pit Bulls and doesn't resemble a Pit much at all. Another is a real Pit Bull. He likes BBQ and beer and just likes to hang out, really. He would NOT bite a human. Fighting Pits that bite humans are considered worthless, even in the "Ghetto," and are destroyed. Any dog will bite, hang on, and shake its head. Any dog is dangerous if starved and neglected." -Mike Pfaff

"In my humble opinion ... putting the burden of proof on the dog owner (the "accused") is contradictory to how our judicial system operates." -Peter Grossetti

"How can you put the blame on a whole breed of dog? You're telling me every single pit bull is going to attack someone? What about other dogs that attacked someone...just because they are not "pit bulls" there is no punishment? How about hold the owners responsible the ones that didn't take the time to train, socialize and care for their dogs which lead to unwanted act? Blaming a entire breed for a few misguided dogs is no different than someone proposing to ban a race of human based on statistics that say they commit more crimes and take up a larger proportion of correctional facilities! But maybe that's the reason lakewood is pushing this dog ban because they can't out right ban people so they think only races of color own pit bulls which would force out their unwanted people. You people need to actually do research and learn a few things because you're trying to get rid of a breed that ranks higher than 90 percent of all dog breeds in the united states temperament test. Open your eyes people you're punishing good citizens with this ordinance. Bsl is no answer to solving any dog or irresponsible dog owner problem." -Brad

"As soon as the city of Lakewood passed its ban, I refused to shop or eat there because I did not want any of my money in the form of taxes coming back to the city to support such ridiculous legislation. I would not live there and I've steered friends away from purchasing homes there whenever possible.

I've been bitten by dogs four times in my life, three of which required trips to the emergency room: one from a chihuahua, one from a miniature dachshund and one from a mixed breed mutt. I've rescued pit bull dogs for 10 years. Dogs that have been fought, beaten, abused, burned, knifed, starved, nearly frozen to death... Despite being in pain in the most horrendous situations imaginable, I've never been bitten by one of those dogs.

Dog bites occur because of owner neglect and inattention and ignorance on the part of the person interacting with the dog. No dog (or cat, actually) should be allowed to roam. No dog should be kept chained for hours at a time. Dogs need appropriate exercise. Those are all things that the owners of any type of dog should be cognizant of. Unaltered dogs (not spayed or neutered) are responsible for most fatal dog attacks, regardless of breed.

You cannot legislate dog behavior. You only can legislate the behavior of people, something Lakewood continues to ignore. Lakewood Council should check out Cleveland's new vicious dog ordinance if they're truly interested in public safety." -Sandy Smith