Chaffee resident wants vicious-dog ordinance repealed

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A Chaffee resident is taking steps to try to put an end to the city's breed-specific vicious-animal ordinance.

Brittany Brewer has started an online Care2 petition that has gathered more than 33,000 signatures.

"I had no idea it was going to get this much attention," Brewer said Wednesday of the number of signatures on the petition.

Brewer, who adopted her American pit bull terrier mix Sophie through the Humane Society, said in a news release she had filed the adoption paperwork when she found out about Chaffee's laws.

She initially thought the laws weren't "going to be a big deal," the release said, and was surprised to discover an extensive list of requirements for pets the city had deemed "vicious."

Chaffee city ordinances deem 18 breeds of dog vicious, plus "dogs of mixed breed when a part of the bloodline is either or a part of any" of the 18 breeds, according to online documents at ecode360.com. In addition, "any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly one of" the 18 breeds also is deemed vicious.

The city's regulations specify guidelines for what dogs may be considered dangerous, including those that have inflicted severe injury on someone, have killed a domestic animal without provocation off the owner's property and any dog trained for fighting.

Owners of these breeds and types of dogs are subject to several requirements, among them a $100,000 insurance policy that covers injury or death by the dog and a "beware of dangerous dog" sign to be posted on the premises within 10 days. The animal also must not be let outside its kennel or pen unless such a dog is on a leash no longer than 4 feet. All puppies born to pets of those breeds must be removed from the city within 10 weeks of their birth.

Other area towns -- Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City -- also outline what they consider to be dangerous or vicious animals, according to municode.com and scottcitymo.org/ordinances. But they include no breed-specific restrictions.

Chaffee city administrator Lee Horton said he was not aware of the petition. He said he thought the city's ordinance, which he said has been in place for several years, "was modeled after ordinances several cities have adopted. ... [It's] certainly nothing new to Chaffee."

Horton said he couldn't comment on the petition specifically because he hadn't read it. But, he said, "anytime citizens want to get involved in their town is great."

Brewer said she adopted the dog about two weeks ago as a birthday present for her daughter, who turns 3 today. Brewer said the two get along well.

"[Sophie] loves her. She gets so excited." Brewer said her daughter does get a little overwhelmed sometimes by the puppy's energy. But, she said, the first thing her daughter asks when she gets up in the morning is, "Is my puppy awake?"

Brewer said her neighbors "didn't seem too worried" about the dog's presence, and one had even tried get Sophie to come to him.

Brewer said she is waiting to hear back about a meeting with Chaffee Mayor Steve Loucks to hand him the petition in person. She said it "didn't seem right" to restrict a pet in the way the ordinance requires.

"It's sad that people still have that mindset about this breed."

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Chaffee, MO

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Chaffee vicious dog breeds

• Pit bull, Staffordshire bull terrier, American bulldog, Aussie bulldog, Alapaha blue blood bulldog, Banter bulldog, Catahoula bulldog, Dorset olde tyme bulldog, French bulldog, Olde Boston bulldog, Ca de Bou, Victorian bulldog, Valley bulldog, English bulldog, American pit bull terrier
• Rottweiler
• Doberman
• Chow
• Dogs of a mixed breed when a part of the bloodline is either or a part of any dog described in Subsections 1 through 4 above
• Any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of one of the breeds as set forth in Subsections 1 through 4 above

Source: ecode360.com