Bootheel town considering banning pit bulls

SENATH, Mo. -- Several residents of Senath attended the Senath City Council meeting in support of keeping their family pets, which would be taken from the homes as stated in a recently proposed ordinance banning pit bulls from the city.

Mayor Joe Lane asked those present at the meeting to choose one person to represent the group and speak to the board.

The group chose Leslie Brooks.

"Why should our dogs have to suffer because of their breed?" Brooks said. "Why should all the families and dogs have to suffer for the complaint of one dog?"

Brooks said she thought there was no need to punish all owners of the breed.

Alderman Patsy Davis said the city's dangerous dog ordinance has not been followed properly.

City attorney Johnny Dalton added the only difference between the proposed ordinance and the active dangerous dog ordinance was that the current ordinance did not specify the pit bull breed as prohibited in the city.

"It did define pit bulls as a dangerous dog, but not prohibited," Dalton said.

He added that if a dog was considered dangerous under the ordinance, then there were specifications on how the dog was to be kept.

The council decided to postpone the passing of a new ordinance and attempt to fix the problem by more strictly enforcing the current dangerous dog ordinance.