Dog ban unnecessary

Bad dog owners outnumber bad dogs.

Unfortunately, suspect breeds such as pit bulls, Doberman pinschers and Rottweilers take the fall when they behave badly. Society, after all, can rarely impound bad dog owners. No matter how much they deserve it.

Pit bulls have become the canine equivalent of Public Enemy No. 1. They’re banned in Denver. They’re close to being banned in Coeur d’Alene. They’re responsible for an inordinate number of vicious attacks.

This month, the Coeur d’Alene City Council will consider a law that could ban up to a dozen different dog breeds, including Chow Chows, German shepherds and Presa Canarios, as well as the breeds mentioned above. The proposed ban surfaced after two pit bulls jumped a neighbor’s fence and killed her cat earlier this year. The council is right to be concerned. But the growing problem with aggressive dogs won’t be fixed with a ban. City officials would do better if they tweaked dog laws and then insisted that they be enforced.

Cases in point: Dogs were running loose Thursday evening during the weekly concert at Coeur d’Alene’s new Riverstone Park despite posted signs that bans them from all areas except the trail system. Owners routinely let their dogs run loose on Tubbs Hill in downtown Coeur d’Alene despite signs at trailheads that say they must be leashed. Along the easternmost end of the Centennial Trail, which runs for miles along beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene, users can find piles of dog feces, despite nearby dump stations that provide plastic bags.

Another example of bad dog ownership occurred at the crowded Art on the Green event this summer when a leashed pit bull lunged at a senior citizen using a walker. The dog was snared in mid-air when its owner yanked its chain, sparing the frightened senior from serious injury.

The breed has supporters who say that it has been given a bad rap. However, pit bulls also attract bad owners who incite their pets’ latent aggressiveness through mistreatment or by allowing them to run free. Maybe this one breed should be banned. At least, council members should require owners of pit bulls to muzzle their pets whenever they are out of the yard and pay stiff fines if they’re caught running free.

They also should adopt a “one-bite-and-you’re-out” policy for all dogs.

Above all, they should quit pretending to address the growing dog problem and order a crackdown on misbehaving owners. Coeur d’Alene runs emphasis patrols to rein in motorists. It’s time to launch emphasis patrols to target owners who ignore dog signs in public areas and to increase fines for dogs repeatedly caught running loose and disturbing the peace by barking in neighborhoods. Also, it’s time to ban dogs from major community events such as the Fourth of July Parade and fireworks show.

Unless the city backs up dog laws with enforcement, a proposed ban on pit bulls and other breeds is a Band-Aid approach to a bigger problem.