Pit Bull Ordinance Put on Hold, More Discussion Expected

The Board of Alderman will have to wait at least another two weeks before it can introduce for owning pit bulls within city limits.

City officials were slated to introduce the proposal at Wednesday's regularly schedule meeting. Instead, interim City Administrator Dennis Walsh said, the proposal has been put on hold while lawyers fine tune the language. Instead, the board will review the proposal on a discussion basis only.

The legislation was written by the . Essentially, the proposal would get rid of the city's reistrictions on owning pit bulls and replace it with increased penalties. 

Mayor Paul Lambi told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the current law has worked well and he sees no need for a change. Lambi, who isn't running for another term in the April 3 election, says he'll leave it up to aldermen to decide.

From the Post-Dispatch:

Supporters of changing the law include Mark Lucas, a veterinarian whose private practice includes the animal control holding facility for Wentzville and nearby O'Fallon.

Of 19 bite cases in those two cities over the past year, only three involved pit bulls, he told aldermen last month. He said any type of dog can pose a problem if the owner is irresponsible. He said O'Fallon's law takes a better approach in treating all breeds the same.

The Board of Alderman meets Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Editor's Note: The original article didn't clearly convey the board's intention. The board will discuss the legislation only; no first reading is expected.