Vick-timized

Kinston officials are drafting an ordinance from the mold of many communities around the nation that have passed laws restricting or banning pit bull ownership.

"Our research shows there is a wide range of policies out there dealing with pit bulls," Public Safety Director Greg Smith said.

Smith said a number of factors lead to the ordinance, which is still in draft form. Those factors include increasing citizen complaints to City Council members and the police regarding problem pit bulls, more frequent seizures of the dogs when police raid houses, and data showing that pit bulls are responsible for the majority of dog attacks on residents and police officers in recent years.

Also, the issue has seen increased visibility since former pro football star Michael Vick's arrest last year on charges of running a dogfighting ring.

"It's not that uncommon for other cities to have them disallowed," said City Manager Scott Stevens.

Kinston city and police staffers have looked into the policies of a number of cities and counties that have enacted pit bull ordinances. The Florida Legislature debated a statewide ban earlier this year; Miami-Dade County has had a pit bull ordinance since 1989.

Smith said there are "all types of options" available, and he stressed that any ordinance would consider pit bull owners' needs as well, since many families care for the dogs without incident.

"I don't want to paint the picture that every pit bull in this city is an aggressive dog," Smith said.

Problem pit bulls are becoming a larger issue, though. A series of drug raids in the city last month netted seven dogs along with narcotics, drug paraphernalia and a handgun.

Assistant Police Chief Annette Boyd said officers discover four to 10 dogs tied up around most of the houses they raid, and they usually bear signs of mistreatment.

Any dogs seized are given medical care if needed and housed at the local animal shelter. Police will charge owners with animal cruelty if there is solid evidence that the pit bulls have been mistreated. The dogs are returned if the owner is acquitted, though.

If the owner is convicted, shelter officials will work to find an adoptive family or euthanize the dog.

"We are actively working on the situation because it is becoming a problem," Boyd said.

Smith said suspected criminals place the dogs around their residences to impede officers, giving them enough time to get rid of evidence or escape.

Police have also received "intelligence" that some Kinston pit bull owners could be training the dogs for fights outside the city.

The ordinance, which Smith plans to present to council members during their May 19 work session, includes a number of measures, including restricting the number of pit bulls per house, requiring owners to register their existing pit bulls, and keeping any more of the breed out of Kinston.

"It's a decision that the council (members) will have to make on what they want to do," said Smith.

David Anderson can be reached at (252) 559-1077, or danderson@freedomenc.com