Dec 7, 2006 6:45 pm US/Central
Some Desoto Residents Want Pit Bulls Banned
by Jay Gormley
DESOTO (CBS 11 News) ―
Large dogs, particularly pit bulls, have become a nuisance in some neighborhoods and a danger in others. Four Desoto police officers were attacked by pit bulls earlier this year. Now, some residents of Desoto are wanting the city to toughen its animal ordinances and even ban some breeds of dogs. That has sparked a debate.
"I'm not for banning any breed. I don't think it's right," said pit bull owner Mysteria Simpkins.
Fellow pit bull owner Justin Chappell agrees. "I don't think they should eliminate them," he said. "It's how you raise them up."
Elected city officials say that they have received over 80 complaints regarding aggressive dogs. Desoto residents met on Thursday night to address this growing concern. Kathy Maples with the City of Desoto said, "The town hall meeting is an effort to see what's out there, including those who believe it's blown out of proportion."
Christy Ecton supports the pit bull ban. She and her dog were attacked by a pit bull. "I didn't know who to protect, me or my dog. I just didn't know what the dog would do, but it came up and it flipped up [my dog] over and, with its teeth, grabbed her by the chest and started shaking her," Ecton said.
Ludivina Emiliano of Dallas knows how it feels to lose a loved one to the jaws of a vicious dog. Her 4-year-old nephew was killed 2 weeks ago in Houston by two pit bulls. "I don't think people should have them anymore because, if this happened to a little boy, it can happen to anybody," she said just before attending the Desoto meeting.
Simpkins attended the Thursday night meeting to explain why people shouldn't fear her dog.
According to Chappell, the city should target the dog owners, not the dogs. "If they can stop the bad owners raising dogs and neglecting them, give them the love they deserve, it's not going to be a problem."
At the meeting, John Mullendore added, "I'm a firm believer that it's nurture, not nature, that makes the difference in how a dog behaves."
Cities including Denver, Cincinnati and Miami already have a pit bull ban.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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