Councilman wants Gilroy to consider breed ordinance
Gilroy – City Councilman Charlie Morales wants to put some teeth into a proposed pit bull ordinance. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation in October allowing cities to establish breed-specific ordinances to mandate spaying or neutering programs and breeding requirements. Morales wants Gilroy to get tough on a breed he believes is unpredictable and used as weapons by local gang members.
“I think it’s time for us to look into a pit bull ordinance,” he said. “It’s a popular dog. It’s a popular dog in the gang culture. It’s a popular dog that could potentially threaten the community.”
In November, San Francisco supervisors approved a set of ordinances requiring the neutering or spaying of pit bull terriers and pit bull mixes in the city. One ordinance restricts the breeding of pit bulls – requiring breeders to have a permit. The decisions come in the wake of a June 3 mauling of a 12-year-old boy and a public outcry for stricter laws. Denver, Colo. has an outright ban of the breed.
“These are not the animals you take to the beach. These are very unpredictable animals,” Morales said. “They’re trained to protect their domain and for some, that’s the person walking them. There’s other dogs (that are dangerous) but the pit bull does have a direct (appeal) to the gang mentality.”
Morales has received about 10 phone calls in the past two months from concerned constituents regarding pit bulls running loose through neighborhoods.
“We should study these ordinances that other cities have, to put more teeth into (ours),” he said. “Is it a safeguard for the community? I think it is,” citing the case of a Morgan Hill toddler killed by a pit bull several years ago.
“Before we have a situation like that in Gilroy, we ought to take a proactive role,” Morales said.
With just two weeks left of his term, Morales is vowing to continue lobbying city council members to pass an ordinance.
“The action I would like to see … pit bulls should not be in public places, leashed or unleashed. I’d like to see no pit bulls in public right of ways – even sidewalks,” he said. “I’m afraid that it will fall on deaf ears. But maybe with the new council …”
He is concerned that youth associated with gangs are using the animals as weapons on the streets. He believes the dogs are a threat to the community.
“Can (a pit bull) be used as a weapon? It certainly can,” he said.
In the past, Gilroy Police Anti-Crime Team members found that gang members were training their pit bulls to attack police, said Sgt. Kurt Svardal.
“They were training their dogs as weapons to use against police – that is a big concern. It’s been around, but it’s not something that is super common,” Svardal said. “I know that some of our gang members do frequently associate with pit bulls.”
The police department keeps record of all the dog bites in the city, but does not break them down by breed. There were 24 dog bites reported to GPD in 2005.
According to Community Services Officer Maria Cabatingan, most of the dog bites GPD responds to are not from pit bulls. Many times, the reports are from owners whose dogs accidentally bit them, she said.
“I think what happens is people see pit bulls in the media and start to call more then they see loose pit bulls,” she said.
Once CSOs receive training, they will begin carrying Taser guns when on an animal call.
In late August, a Morgan Hill officer shot a pit bull charging him on a call.
“We’re looking for a way to provide our CSOs with a way of defending themselves when they’re on an animal call,” Svardal said.
Pit bull advocates believe the breed is unfairly categorized as violent. They believe the owner is responsible for training the animal to be violent, not the breed itself.
Supporters argue that by instituting pit bull ordinances it punishes responsible owners and won’t deter bad breeders.
Councilman Paul Correa is open to discussing an ordinance within the city.
“I think there might be some support for such an ordinance,” he said. “For myself, I’m open to looking at the potential if it’s necessary for public safety.”
But the support may not be coming from council member Craig Gartman. He is interested in listening to the arguments surrounding a pit bull ordinance, but is uncertain whether he would support such a measure.
“I’m more for making sure people are responsible for themselves,” he said. “We need to be responsible for ourselves. If you have a dog, you are responsible for keeping that dog under control. Do we need to legislate people’s responsibility?”
Current law requires all dogs out in public to be leashed – regardless of the breed.
According to Sgt. Svardal, a dog bite is a dog bite.
“Our number one recommendation is be a responsible pet owner,” he said. “Make sure that your dog, no matter what breed it is, is properly maintained.”
