Trying to ban pit bulls

Trying to ban pit bulls in WNY, UC

In Hudson County, several dog-biting instances involving large dogs, in many cases pit bulls, have led to the attempted enactment of stiff laws in places like North Bergen and Union City.
Law enforcement officials in both municipalities maintain the right to remove a dog, even if it is fenced in, if they feel it exhibits aggressive behavior that can be dangerous to the public.

“We’re not going to wait for the first bite,” said Richard Censullo, the health officer for both North Bergen and Union City who also teaches health law to graduate students at New Jersey City University. “Owning a vicious dog is the equivalent of having a loaded gun.”

Are pit bulls naturally dangerous, or do they get a bad rap because of their powerful jaws and the way people fight them?

Eight years ago, both North Bergen and Union City tried to enact Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) that would outlaw the ownership of pit bulls by residents in those areas.

The proposed measure was met with fierce opposition by responsible pit bull owners in the communities as well as dog association representatives who were able to defeat the proposal, arguing that it violated New Jersey State Law.

The New Jersey Vicious and Potentially Dangerous Dog Act, NJSASS 4:19-36, which was amended in 1994, explicitly prohibits breed discrimination at any level throughout the state.

Anti-pit bull legislation has also been attempted without success in West New York.

But publicly funded housing projects are exempt from that law. The federally funded housing authorities of West New York, Weehawken, and Hoboken have outlawed the ownership of any dogs exceeding 40 lbs.

“Our concern is for the safety of the children and residents of the housing authority,” said West New York Housing Authority Executive Director Robert DiVincent, who is also the acting director at both the Weehawken and Hoboken housing authorities.

The only exception to this policy are dogs who were grandfathered in five years ago, before the policy was enacted. - MM

What exactly is a pit bull?

By definition, a “pit bull” is not a specific breed, but rather a term used to describe four breeds of dog with similar physical characteristics. The dogs are: the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier.

A negative trend that is taking place more frequently within the dog breeding community is the cross-mixing of pit bulls with larger dogs that tend to be more aggressive.

Some breeders have been mixing their bloodlines with those of Rottweilers, which can exceed 110 lbs., and mastiffs, which can exceed 300 lbs. A pit bull should not exceed 60 lbs., according to Meredeth Oliver, a Hoboken resident and pit bull advocate who moderates for the online website www.pitbullforum.com.

Both of these larger breeds are also considered to be guardian breeds, which are used to protect individuals or property, whereas the pit bull is not, according to Oliver.

“They’re trying to make them bigger by mixing temperaments that are not supposed to be there,” said Oliver. “It’s a huge problem, and pit bulls are paying the price for it.” There are currently no laws in Hudson County that restrict or regulate the breeding of dogs. - MM

Contact Michael Mullins at mmullins@hudsonreporter.com

See the original text at www.hudsonreporter.com