Grosse Pointe Shores city council passes pit bull ban
GROSSE POINTE SHORES, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - There is mixed reaction to a new pit bull ban in Grosse Pointe Shores.
At a city council meeting on Tuesday, the pit bull ban narrowly passed by a 4-3 vote.
The ordinance would ban new pit bulls from entering the city. However, current licensed pit bulls would not be affected by the new rules.
"The community has been passionate about this issue, somewhat divided," said Grosse Pointe Shores City Manager Stephen Poloni.
Poloni said the ordinance was prompted by a pit bull attack that happened near the corner of Sunningdale and Lochmoor in June. The owner of the pit bull involved in the attack is reportedly Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery.
The dog injured in that attack had to have its leg amputated, and the dog's owners suffered minor injuries.
"It happened to me when I was walking my dog," said a Grosse Pointe Shores resident.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said her dog was attacked by a pit bull in another city when it got out of the yard.
"It happened while I was walking my dog and walking down the street," she said.
That said, she is for the new pit bull ordinance.
But not everyone agreed.
The Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society, the shelter that serves Grosse Pointe Shores, is now threatening to end its contract with the city over the new breed-specific rules.
At Tuesday's city council meeting, a petition was submitted with more than 300 signatures objecting to the new pit bull ban.
The Grosse Pointe resident admitted it doesn't feel right to single out a specific breed. She said the data speaks for itself - pit bulls are dangerous.
"It's sad to stereotype against a breed, but it's generally what it is," she said.
There are still a lot of questions surrounding how the city plans to enforce the new ban.
Meanwhile, Montgomery is facing a civil lawsuit over his pit bull attacking and permanently injuring another dog and its owners.
