In wake of dog attacks, Ypsilanti Township to consider ordinance to regulate 'backyard breeders'
On May 9, two pit bulls running loose attacked and killed a 14-year-old Labrador retriever on Merrill Street in Ypsilanti Township while the animal was on a walk with its owner.
According to police reports, the two dogs were involved in another recent attack in which they crashed through a glass storm window to attack a pug inside a house.
In April, a Labrador-boxer mix killed a dog being walked by its owner on Carriage Street. And in February, a loose German shepherd attacked a woman on James Street, leaving her with wounds on her arm that required hospitalization.
As part of a larger effort to address issues created by aggressive dogs running loose and dog overpopulation in the township, the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees will consider new regulations targeting "backyard breeders" this month.
Assistant township attorney Angela King has told the board that a new ordinance would likely be ready for a June meeting. She added that the attacking dogs’ owners in all cases are being criminally prosecuted and the township is asking a district court judge to grant authority to put down the two pit bulls.
Ypsilanti Township is cracking down on loose, potentially dangerous dogs, including two pit bulls that have attacked people and pets.
Photo by Photos8.com
“We are being very aggressive with irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs roam free and attack other people or other pets,” she said.
Mike Radzik, director of the township's Office of Community Standards, said the purpose of the breeding ordinance is to address people who breed dogs in residential homes — not commercial breeders or kennels — and sell the puppies for extra money.
The new ordinance would require residents to obtain a permit to breed their dogs, and there would be limitations on the number of litters. The township would also be inspect homes where dogs are being bred to ensure they meet code.
“We want to permit this activity for legitimate people who want to do it for profit, but also give law enforcement a tool to go after people who are not legitimate,” Radzik said.
Pit-bull breeding has been a particular concern because it has contributed to the breed’s overpopulation in the township, Radzik said.
He said the Humane Society of Huron Valley and neighborhood watch groups have reported to township officials a high number of unwanted pit bull puppies discarded on the street or left at the HSHV’s office, though no statistics were available.
He said another concern is the safety and welfare of dogs. Officials have encountered dogs being bred in abusive and cruel conditions, and the township is frequently called because of poor conditions in breeders’ homes.
The goals of the new ordinance are to help control the pit bull and dog population, to address concerns over the welfare of dogs and to help officials control blight, Radzik said.
It is the latest in a series of measures that the township — in collaboration with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and the Humane Society — is taking to address problems with aggressive dogs and dog overpopulation.
Last year, the township adopted a controversial ordinance that required pit bull owners to have their dogs fixed and that also stepped up efforts to get dogs licensed.
The Humane Society fixed 150 dogs in the first quarter of 2011, which is halfway to its goal of 300 for the year. Pit bull owners can take their dogs to the HSHV to get the surgery done for free through 2011.
The township licensed 1,742 dogs in 2010 and already has licensed approximately 1,500 in 2011.
Radzik said officials have gone door-to-door to check if residents have dogs. If a dog isn’t licensed, the owner is written a ticket and has 10 days to get the dog licensed and present that license to the district court.
If the license is presented, then the owner pays $25 in administrative fees. If not, the owner would have to pay the ticket, which is normally $125.
Radzik said the Sheriff's Office's has two animal control officers — one of whom has been particularly productive because she is restricted to light duty while recovering from an injury that occurred while wrestling with a dog — and Humane Society investigators have worked with township ordinance officers to check homes. He said they target streets in neighborhoods with a statistically high volume of animal control complaints from residents.
The township has advertised the licensing requirements and sent letters out with utility bills explaining the requirements. Owners can go to the township clerk’s office, township recreation center or HSHV to get their dog licensed. Licenses are $6 with proof of rabies vaccination. If an unlicensed dog is caught running stray by the Sheriff's Office, a resident must pay $25 to get it back if the dog is neutered and $125 if it isn't.
Radzik said the township has reaped “tremendous benefits” from its animal control campaign.
“Residents are becoming more and more aware of and in tune with the requirements,” he said. “If you are going to own a dog, you are going to have to be responsible. It’s not responsible owners causing problems; it's irresponsible owners who can’t or won’t put the effort into owning a dog.”
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at 734-623-2530 or news@annarbor.com.
Comments
obviouscomment
Mon, Jun 6, 2011 : 4:06 a.m.
True, people will not follow the laws and will continue just as before no matter what ordinances are put in place but...the more laws there are for them to break, the more trouble they WILL be in when they get caught so there will be harsher punishments. I say, put as many ordinances in place as possible so when people get in trouble they will not have just a little fine to pay but will have multiple sentences to fulfill as punishment. And I certainly hope that there will be a hefty fee for those who want to buy a permit to be "backyard breeders".
AdmiralMoose
Mon, Jun 6, 2011 : 1:17 a.m.
My heart goes out to the owners who watched their companions be killed by attacking dogs.
snapshot
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 9:30 p.m.
I'm not sure what "backyard breeders" has to do with irresponsible owners of animals. If someone had a pet alligator that attacked and killed a dog, would we go after "backyard alligator breeders"? Authorities need to go after the pet owners. You are responsible for your dog. Your dog attacks someone, causes damage, kills another dog, YOU go on trial. If deemed to have a dangerous animal in the house with children, the children should be removed. Those underage kids bragging about their dogs should be turned over to child services for an investigation of the safety of the home. Go after the owners of these dogs and make them pay, do jail time, take the kids out of homes with dangerous animals. Going after "backyard breeders"? I don't even know what that means. Does that mean that you have to have a kennel to breed a dog? How about a storefront business? If I want to breed my Lab, do I need a Vets license? Go after owners of dangerous animals and prosecute just like it was THEM that committed their dogs crime.
dogman32
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 9:15 p.m.
bedrog let's make it very simple--what does regulating the breeding of dogs have to do with dogs running loose? they are two totally separate issues. is the township suggesting the breeders are the ones letting the dogs run at will?
bedrog
Mon, Jun 6, 2011 : 10:59 p.m.
The article /legislation addresses both issues ...breeding and looseness..which often seem to coincide...as in the dumping of unwanted young pitbulls ( the running loose part) which is a reality with other breeds too, as in the recent horrible case of a slew of illicit 'dog mill' cocker spaniels dumped on a roadside north of town and rescued by the Huron Valley Humane Society ( where i happen to volunteer and see /deal with the consequences of such abuse).
dading dont delete me bro
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 6:59 p.m.
ahem... i thought the township had an ordinace regarding pit bulls already? we're these dogs that alleged attacked and killed this lab in compliance w/said ordinance? i.e. you can have all the ordinances you want, but they're no good if not enforced... jus' sayin'
zip the cat
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 5:48 p.m.
@enso What planet have you been living on? The government can and will do anything they want. Its dog owners like you that makes half of ypsi ak-47 owners
bedrog
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 6:34 p.m.
ummmm zip...i kinda think 'enso' was being facetious.
Lara
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 4:59 p.m.
Personally, I want to thank Ypsi Twp. for looking at ways to crack down on irresponsible owners and limit dog overpopulation without persecuting responsible, law-abiding dog owners. As for the pit-haters, how many of these dogs have you personally lived with? Working in animal rescue, I've fostered a handful of pits and pit mixes, none of which were aggressive. My favorite was by far the gentlest dog I've known. I can't express how non-mean that dog was. She tried to mother bunnies and baby pigeons. Actually, the only seriously dog-aggressive dog I cared for was a husky/lab mix, and the most people-aggressive dog I cared for was a terrier. Should we outlaw these breeds because I had bad experiences with a a few? The problem with pits as a breed is the many people who breed them and buy them specifically because they want dogs who look and behave mean. In some cases, this breeding results in dogs that are naturally aggressive - I know there are pits like that, I won't argue. But there are also pits who are as nice as any dog gets. Pit bulls as a breed, because they are so overpopulated, freely bred and not often registered as purebreds, have far more genetic diversity than most breeds. Why persecute the highly variable population of pit bulls when the problem stems from a particular segment of the *human* population who choose to raise these dogs only on the basis of their perceived nastiness? I'm all for regulating dog breeding, of any breed. I have seen the dirty underside of all those cute litters of puppies bred to make a quick buck. As a nation we pride ourselves on our "civilized" care of animals mostly by turning a blind eye to the uncivilized parts, including the millions of pets we kill every year because we couldn't responsibly care for the animals we claim to love. In particular, I applaud efforts to crack down on irresponsible pet ownership without cracking down on the pets themselves, who truly are the victims.
Arielle82
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 4:21 p.m.
As a pit bull owner and breed ambasador, I commend Ypsi Twp for this. I think it is really important to protect this vulnerable breed of dog. They are incredable animals that just want to please their owners. Making the ownerss responsible is key to preserving an excelent breed. @ Bilbo: the breed is just as dangerous as any other dog, just lots of people who want to do harm with/to them acquier them. However, I 100% agree with you and have for a long time. You want to have a pit? Then be willing to get a license and prove you truly care about the breed. My dogs are the most well behaved dogs I have ever met and that is because we have put in lots of work with them.
ypsi_arbor
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 4:18 p.m.
It's absurd to classify ALL of ANYTHING under one category. Doing so has led to some of the world's greatest downfalls. However, I own a dog which is a pit bull-shar pei mix. Historically, those are two of the nastiest, most stubborn breeds. I resued him through Last Chance rescue during an event in Grand Bland when he was 10 weeks old. Since the day I brought him home I've loved him with discipline and care, and now, at 19 months old, he is as domestic as any breed. At 65lbs, he sleeps in the bed with my 5 year old son, obeys every command I give him, and acts just like any other household dog, lying at the feet of whomever will offer him a belly rub or a scratch behind the ears. People, both owners and non-owners of tempermental breeds, need to become more educated about the animal before they begin throwing outlandish claims about what should or shouldn't happen. And punish the owner, not the breed or other responsible owners. Guns aren't outlawed juat because mis/un-educated people don't use THEM properly.
John B.
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
Guns don't suddenly maul your five-year-old to death for no reason. "Gee, he was such a nice dog up to that point." And that could happen, one, two, maybe five years from now.
Enso
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 3:58 p.m.
On behalf of the loony right wing... Regulation is unAmerican! The government has NO RIGHT to tell me I can't breed as many pit bulls as I want and train them to kill. And then to tell me I can't let them run loose in the neighborhood!!! Outrageous! If you don't want your dog or child killed by my pack, then get your own and train them how to kill! May the strongest survive! Only in Obamaramas Communist States of America! Vote Palin!
John B.
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.
Well said! ;-)
Ben Hardy
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 3:44 p.m.
Let's make sure we outlaw German Shepherds and Labrador-boxer mixes too.
tom swift jr.
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:32 p.m.
I spend a lot of time working with young people in the Ypsilanti area. I would bet good money that, when a kid tells me he has a dog, and I ask "what kind", the answer is going to be "a pit". It is terrifying hearing them talk about their "pits", how they have trained them to be mean, the pride they take in their dog attacking another dog. Granted, this isn't just an "ypsi" problem, there were two people killed in Livingston County a couple of years ago by pit bulls. Folks, what we've done to this breed is nothing less than cruel. It is time to acknowledge that the majority of the people who own "pits" do so for the attack/fighting/mean factor for one reason or another, and to make it a criminal offense to own or harbor this breed of dog.
Arielle82
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
sad
John A2
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
I don't see how this measure will help at all with escaped pit-bulls. These dogs are bred to be aggressive hunter killers. Down in Florida I saw firsthand how a pack of trained pits chased down a 400 pound wild pig. Ounce they had a good bite they would lock their jaws and and that would cause the wait to unbalance the pig while trying to dodge the other dogs. They are powerful hunters and should be respected as such. So, we should have a state ban on them. This ban will only allow the ownership of these breeds of dogs to have a special hunters license. The breed itself is a danger to themselves and others, and they don't just target other dogs, but left to themselves they snap back to being wild and will attack anything or anyone who threatens their territory. They can be great dogs but only under the control of their masters. Pit-bulls are known to get loose and kill people and no just other dogs. The people I know down in Florida are contracted by the state to catch the wild pigs. The dogs chase them to a waiting cage that is built onto a trailer. They them take and slaughter the pigs and share the meat. These dogs are not fit to live in the city period.
zip the cat
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
Every pit bull I came across in my daily travels,made me leave the area, just looking at them Sounds like their not a docile as every one thinks they are. Yet the humane society made one there spokes dog. They lost all of my $ and support on that move.
Tom Joad
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:17 p.m.
Require a hefty insurance policy for any dangerous breed like Florida. You only drive at the behest of your insurance company and if you're a bad driver with high risk you pay. Same for dogs. You want to play the pitbull game you pay.
Arielle82
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
Guess what? The people who are breeding to fight don't have insurance. People who are responsible owners do. So I guess that wouldn't slove much would it?
ffej440
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:02 p.m.
Six dollars for a dog license ? Where ? In Washtenaw county it costs $12 for one year and $24 if the dog is unaltered. Is this an error in the story or an extra fee by the township?
arborani
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 9:19 p.m.
Yep . . . in Washtenaw County, a whole dollar a month to ID and "legitimize" the best friend you'll ever have.
Bilbo
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
The pit-bull breed is too dangerous. In the hands of irresponsible people it becomes a roaming weapon on par with a random drive by shooting. What kind of dog breaks through a glass storm window to kill the dog inside? To own a pit-bull breed you should be required to pay a special license and take a class on handling and securing the animals in yards and leashes. That would eliminate people who don't want to put in the time in effort in the animal and who just have them as a status symbol.
bedrog
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 6:32 p.m.
@ffe...re guns , dogs, drugs, booze, cars, foodstuffs etc: no regulation will solve all abuses, but zero regs of potentially dangerous things would result in even more problems. so your sarcasm is misplaced.
ffej440
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:05 p.m.
Because it has worked so well with guns ?
bedrog
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
Here's a thought --(and i regularly deal with unwanted/homeless pit bulls , which are preponderant among other homeless breeds, due to careless/malicious owner/ breeders): Dogs---even the 'aggressive' ( or trained to be so) breeds--- are often better with people than with other dogs, either because they want to fight the other dogs or because they can "pack up", ala wolves, with potentially disastrous consequences. Therefore, in addition to controlling irresponsible breeding, regulate multiple dog households, especially in urban areas and if the dogs are of similar large size ( although a " pack " of chihuahuas or a pekingese -rottweiler duo actually seems more funny than scary)
xmo
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 12:11 p.m.
So lets outlaw DOGS! If you want a pet get a cat, a bird or a fish.
jinxplayer
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
derp
dogman32
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 12:11 p.m.
What in the world does regulating "backyard breeders" have to do with "aggressive dogs running loose"? Dog that are left to run at will are the responsiblility of negligent owners, not the result of breeding. Granted, the new ordinance may have some impact on dog overpopulation but at what financial cost to the respective organizations enforcing it? A better suggestion is to place a real stiff fine on the owners of the dogs. Penalize the owner, not the dog. It sounds like our local Humane Society is in cahoots with the Humane Society of the United States (which is not a humane society but rather a huge lobbying force). More government intrusion into our lives is not what we need. What is the next step, more regulations on the number of dogs we can own or how many litters we can whelp? Butt out!
BookAnnie
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 5:33 p.m.
The Humane Society of Huron Valley has no connection with the Humane Society of the United States. HSHV gets its funding from individual and corporate donors and from a contract with Washtenaw County to house strays.
bedrog
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
mixed messages in yours...the huron valley human society is absolutely in agreement that the problem is owners ,not dogs. And regulating bad owners is what this article/legislation is properly is about, be it irresponsible breeding, bad caretaking ec. Humane societies are in the business of cleaning up other peoples messes and caring for the animals so penalized through no fault of their own....and the huron valley one is one of the best there is.
Wolf's Bane
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 11:37 a.m.
How can Ypsilanti Township regulate 'backyard dog breeding' even with an ordinance in place? I mean, with all the cuts to basic infrastructure, where will the manpower come from? Private citizens? Bottom line, there is no place for backyard breeding in Ypsilanti Township or anywhere else for that matter.
jcj
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 1:27 p.m.
I will volunteer to help enforce the ordinance. If given the authority to use a taser!
bedrog
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 11:22 a.m.
Unregulated dog breeding---especially of breeds known to be potentially aggressive ( which is why these particular breeders breed them )---should be criminalized. For that matter so should the breeding of/ by people who go in for such activities.