By Colin McEwen
Record-Courier staff writer
Several Ravenna residents Monday voiced their dissatisfaction with a proposed ordinance about vicious and dangerous dogs to City Council.
If passed, the ordinance would require owners of pit bull breeds to register their dogs with the police department, or face prosecution.
LuAnn Stuver Rogers, along with three other Ravenna residents, opposed the ordinance at the meeting, even though none of them own pit bulls.
Rogers said she fears the inclusion in the ordinance that any dog can be deemed "dangerous" and required to be registered if it attacks another animal or human being.
"It's really a slippery slope," she said. "This year it's pit bulls, next year it could be German shepherds, and so on. I just have a lot of concerns with that."
Rogers said vicious and dangerous dogs result from the lack of socialization, training and responsible dog owners, not breed types.
"The real problems caused by dogs are from the dog owners," said Rogers, who writes the weekly "Dog Tales" column for the Record-Courier.
Councilman Bruce Ribelin said the city will host a public meeting Aug. 4 to entertain further dialogue between residents and to discuss possible changes to the draft resolution.
"I will certainly listen to any (suggestions)," he said. "That is why I left (the ordinance) on first reading. It may need tweaked before we vote on it."
The ordinance, seven pages in length, outlines possible regulation for dangerous and vicious dogs.
If passed, failure to follow the ordinance could result in misdemeanor charges for the dog owner.
The dogs that would need to be registered are different breeds of pit bull, including American pit bull terrier, bull terrier, Staffordshire terrier and American Staffordshire terrier.
The ordinance defines a dangerous dog as one that "chased or approached in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attack, or has attempted to bite or otherwise endanger any person."
Police dogs and dogs that are provoked into attack are exempt from the ordinance.
According to the ordinance, a vicious dog is defined as one that has killed or caused injury to people has caused injury to or killed another dog or is a pit bull.
Vicious dogs not only will need to be registered, but owners also will need to have the dog insured, and have a microchip implanted by a veterinarian.
The ordinance was modeled after regulations in several other communities and has been proven to hold up in court, said Ribelin.
In other business, pedestrians and motorists alike will no longer need to worry about the falling light posts in the event of inclement weather " or at least that's what city officials are hoping. Council approved a resolution Monday to spend $70,000 to repair 104 light posts throughout the city.
In other business " and farther down the thermometer " council agreed to be included with the Ohio Department of Transportation's salt purchasing cooperative effort during winter months. Mayor Kevin Poland said if the city had the co-op last year, it could have saved as much as $14,000.
It was determined that starting today a few of the traffic lights will begin blinking a caution yellow, as opposed to the typical red, yellow and green motorists expect.
Poland asked City Engineer Mark Bowen to make the changes immediately to two intersections: Sycamore and Spruce streets and Central Avenue and North Chestnut Street.
More traffic lights are expected to be examined at the next streets and sidewalks committee meeting.
"I would like to see this get done," said Poland. "Coming to a stop at Chestnut (Street) and Central (Avenue) at 3 a.m. and there's no one there " it makes no sense."