NEBRASKA -- The Blair City Council's Police Committee will research wants to toughen up the city's dangerous dog laws.
After the council heard stories of encounters with dangerous dogs and pleas from several residents, Mayor Jim Realph asked the council's Police Committee to research the issue and bring back a proposal for the council to consider.
The effort to toughen up the laws is being spearheaded by Bill and Jane Straube, whose dog was attacked by two pit bulls in their driveway.
The Straubes also want the city to consider banning pit bulls in town.
Jane Straube told the council pit bulls are bred to be dangerous and are not safe to have in town.
"At some point in time the dogs will attack," she said.
Several other residents agreed.
Chris Ulven said when the same two pit bulls that attacked Straubes' dog lived near his Davis Drive home two years ago, his children were "terrorized by these same dogs."
After one incident, Ulven said he called police and when an officer arrived, "the dog went at him."
A week later, Ulven said, one of the dogs came after him and he called 911. The owner was cited, he said, "but the dog stayed put."
Ulven said the dangerous dog laws need to be beefed up because "there's only so much the police can do to protect citizens. My kids will just now go outside and play again."
Tammy Hughbanks said she likes to take walks in town, but now will not leave home without her cell phone, pepper spray and a whistle after a run-in with a dog a few years ago.
Ken Stier, the Straubes' neighbor who helped carry their dog to safety after the July 21 attack, said the city needs to toughen its laws to give police more ways to deal with dangerous dogs.
"If a dog has proven to be vicious, they should not be allowed to be in the city limits," he said.
In the case of the attack on the Straubes' dog, police chief Joe Lager said both dogs are still being held at the Blair Animal Shelter until the case has been decided in court.
City attorney Geoff Hall said the city will argue to have one of the dogs, which was previously identified as a dangerous dog in 2007, destroyed.
Councilman John Abbott, who is on the Police Committee that will study the situation, said it could take a month or better for a new proposal to be crafted and he hoped to have a public hearing during the process to get input on the proposals.
He said the committee will look at two issues: A possible ban on a specific breed and tightening the dangerous dog law.
(Pilot Tribune & Enterprise - Aug 12, 2010)
