I love them. Its funny this was brought up because I am arguing w/ my boss about them. His mom is a DVM and hates Pits.
I sent this e-mail out to 100 people this morning:
Please help. Breed bans are not the answer. Making stricter penalities against animal cruelty or dog fighting will be far more effective. Training law enforcement to recognize the signs of dog fighting is more important. Rumor has it that the Chicago City Council may act on this soon. Please tell Alderman Rugai that she's WRONG.
Kristy
No More Pit Bulls In Chicago?
19th Ward Alderman Ginger Rugai wants to ban them...
19th Ward Alderman Virginia A. Rugai, usually referred to as Alderman Ginger Rugai, has proposed an ordinance that would ban Chicagoans from owning pit bulls. Heck, the ordinance would make it illegal for Chicagoans even to carry someone else's pit bull inside city limits. (By "pit bulls" the ordinance actually means three different breeds, namely American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.)
The ordinance is so strict that if one of your out-of-town relatives were to come and visit you with his pet pit bull in a dog cage and you were to let the two of them stay overnight in your home, you could be facing fines of $100-1000 and/or up to six months in jail.
Another example: if a tourist who was driving from New York to L.A. with a pit bull in her car had a flat tire while passing through Chicago and couldn't get out of town in less than an hour (the time non-residents are given to transport a pit bull through city limits), the poor woman could also be facing fines of $100-1000 and/or up to six months in jail.
Now that it has been introduced at the City Council meeting, the Rugai ordinance has to be reviewed by the licensing committee. If approved, Chicagoans who own pit bulls would have thirty days to get rid of their pets.
By the way, this is not the first time Alderman Rugai has come into conflict with dog owners. A while back she tried to draft a bill limiting the number of dogs per household. The Daley administration opposed her then (as they oppose her now) and the bill did not pass.
If you do not agree with her, you can contact the Chicago City Council and let them know how you feel:
Chicago City Council
City Hall
121 N. LaSalle Street, Room 209
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 744-6800
Fax: (312) 744-6824
10444 S. Western Ave
Chicago IL 60643
3017 West 111th Street
Chicago, IL 60655
vrugai@cityofchicago.org
Phone: 773-238-8766 (Western)
Fax: 773-238-9049 (Western)