Pit bulls banned in Grosse Pointe Shores after dog attack
GROSSE POINTE SHORES, Mich. (FOX 2) - Pit bull dogs are now banned in Grosse Pointe Shores after the city council approved the ban Tuesday night.
The council narrowly approved the measure with a 4-3 vote.
This comes after a small dog was attacked by a pit bull in June and had to have its leg amputated.
Once the ban was proposed, more than 300 people signed a petition against it, calling the ban discrimination. However, others who support the ban say it's about keeping the community safe.
People on both sides of the issue shared their thoughts at Tuesday's council meeting.
"The rate of fatal dog attacks in the United States has doubled over the last three years and then looking at dog bite fatalities, the pit bull is a breed responsible for most fatal attacks," one man said.
A woman who said she is a vet tech said most of the vicious dogs she sees are not pits.
"I'm a licensed vet tech, I've been in the field for over 10 years and I have been faced with many vicious animals in my years and majority have not been pit bulls," she said.
This ban will not apply to people who already have pit bulls that are registered in the city, but will impact more from being brought into Grosse Pointe Shores. The ban is expected to take effect in about a month.