The legal action follows Peggy Noblitt's refusal to comply with special rules for Blu Gator, a 1-year-old dog many residents say falls into the "pit bull" category.
In addition to muzzling Blu Gator, Noblitt has been told to spay her, confine her inside a secure kennel when she's in the back yard, and take out $250,000 of liability insurance.
Noblitt, who describes Blu Gator as 'friendly and playful', says her dog shouldn't be discriminated against because similar or related breeds have been involved in highly publicized attacks on people.
However, the HOA says her pit bull has has numerous incidents of "lunging" at children and other pets [I'm assuming this means she's trying to walk it and it's too strong for her so it's lunging while she's trying to maintain control of it]
Port Blakely Communities, the developer of Issaquah Highlands, hopes the court will help in one of two ways.
"The court will either order that the rules be complied with, or that the dog be removed from the community," said John Adams, a Port Blakely official.
But Noblitt, 37, says she will fight back. Her attorney is preparing to file counter claims, perhaps as early as this week.
In March, the homeowners' association began enforcing a new rule banning pit bulls from the planned community.
But Noblitt's dog was "grandfathered in," so long as the special conditions were complied with.
Noblitt says she wholeheartedly endorses dangerous-dog legislation, but objects to rules that focus on individual breeds.
If her dog became aggressive or dangerous, she would put Blu Gator down, Noblitt said.
(Eastside Journal - June 4, 2002)
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