Louisiana Town Makes Decision on Pit Bull Ban

The Town Council in the Community of Lake Arthur met last night to make a decision on a decades-old ordinance that banned pit bull dogs from being kept in the town's limits. The ordinance was originally passed with the resident's safety in mind. Pit bulls had earned a reputation for being particularly aggressive and violent and there had been reports of attacks involving the animals.

The problem for the Town's leaders was how to enforce the ordinance. It was not only a question of who actually had the time to perform the job and the second and perhaps the more telling question was "Could the town afford" the ordinance? The expense for the town would have come in the form of paying for tests to determine if the animal in question was actually a pit bull.

Many dog lovers took to social media to plead their case before the public.

Over time the pit bull breed has been crossed with other breeds known for having a less aggressive disposition. These mixed-breed dogs are not technically pit bulls and therefore would not have fallen under the Lake Arthur ordinance jurisdiction. But still, if the dog or the dog's owner was questioned it would have been up to the town to provide proof of the animal's breed.

Last month an ordinance was introduced before the Lake Arthur Council asking them to look into rescinding the decades-old pit bull laws. Last night the council acted on the ordinance to rescind and decided to do away with the pit bull ban. The vote was unanimous and was deemed "effective immediately". 

City leaders will now rely on the town's current leash laws and vicious dog ordinances which are already in place and are much easier and less costly to enforce.