Pit Bull Ordinance Back on Aldermen's Agenda as Discussion Item

The city's ongoing effort to rewrite its animal policy—namely, how authorities treat vicious dogs and their owners—resumes Wednesday as the Wentzville Board of Aldermen are slated to discuss the developing legislation at its regularly scheduled meeting.

The new policy, which would repeal the city's current pit bull restrictions, is breed neutral  and would put the onus of harsh or vicious dogs on the owners rather the pets. To do that, the legislation calls for a series of fines for first and subsequent incidents, with fines ranging from $100 for the first offense to $500 for a fourth offense, with the animal being ordered to be removed from the city or be euthanized.

The board last discussed the policy at its Jan. 25 meeting in front of a nearly 100 concerned residents and sent Wentzville Police Chief Lisa Harrison back to the drawing board with several derivatives such as a range of fines for owners of vicious dogs and a clearer path for how and how much to fine them.

Now, Harrison hopes the legislation, which is still in draft form, is sound enough to satisfy residents and aldermen alike. 

The new policy would make it unlawful for any person to keep, harbor, possess or allow to be in or upon their premises any dangerous, vicious or ferocious animal. 

A dangerous, vicious or ferocious animal would be defined as any animal that:

• Bites or attacks any person, domestic animal or farm animal not withstanding jurisdiction of the offense
• Has ever in the past has bitten, attacked or injured any of the person, domestic animal or farm animal not withstanding jurisdiction of the offense
• By its immediate or previous action, exhibits a threat of attacking or biting a person, domestic animal or farm animal
• Exhibits particulable behavior that causes fear to any reasonable person without provocation anywhere in the city other than the owner’s private property 
• When unprovoked, chases, lashes out at or approaches a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public grounds or private property other than the property of the owner, in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack, regardless of whether or not a person is injured by such animal
• Owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of fighting or any animal trained for fighting

The city has long had certain restrictions on pit bulls. Now, officials and concerned residents are pushing to repeal those restrictions and replace them with a new policy that would enact harsher penalties on owners of any dog that displays vicious characteristics. 

The board, according to the agenda, will not take official action on the matter during the meeting. Instead, the board will discuss the legislation and give residents a chance to raise concerns with the draft.

To view the board's agenda, CLICK HERE.

To read the latest draft of the policy, CLICK HERE.