Two brutal and bloody pit bull maulings that took place over the Memorial Day weekend in Lynn have led City Council President Tim Phelan to seek an immediate amendment to the City’s Dog Ordinance.
Phelan’s amendment seeks to place added restrictions on pit-bull ownership in the city by increasing fines and providing for impounding violent pit bulls with stipulations that its owner pay the full cost for the term of impoundment.
For each violation committed by a pit bull, there would be a fine not to exceed $300 and the pit bull will be subject to immediate impoudment.
The separate attacks took place on Saturday and Monday of the long holiday weekend – one on Broadway where a pit bull mauled a 6 month old baby out for a walk with her parents, causing multiple bite wounds to her left leg and the second attack took place on Chatham Street after apparently escaping from the basement of its owner’s home.
A young boy was bitten multiple times on his forearms and chest.
According to Lynn’s Dog Officer Kevin Farnsworth – both dogs were aggressive on their way to being euthanized.
The gruesome attacks shocked Council President Phelan.
He wrote and sent a request for a public hearing and the proposed amendment to the city’s dog ordinance to Chairman of the Ordinance Committee Darren Cyr on June 4.
“Attached please find a proposed amendment to the City’s Dog Ordinance specifically related to pit-bulls. I ask for your committee’s support in setting this down for a Public Hearing as soon as possible.”
The item is expected to be discussed at the next meeting of Cyr’s Committee.
View Comments (2)
Yet another "knee-jerk" reaction from so-called "leaders".
These ordinance recommendations do nothing to address the irresponsible owner that allows attacks such as those on Memorial Weekend to happen.
Is $300 a fair price for an infants leg, or life?
Do you think that these people care that you impound there dogs? Most likely not, since they are usually loose, chained-up, unregistered and what-have you.
What about when a Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Husky or whatever attacks a person. Is it any less painful or traumatic for the victim? For the dog, even?
Phelan is missing an opportunity to create laws that can TRULY reduce attacks considerably, but chooses passion over productivity.
The citizens of Lynn should feel MUCH safer knowing that the thugs, gangstas, wannabes, and irresponsible owners are going to quake in their boots with these new, "tough", regulations.
It's so true, irresponsible owners need really strict punishments, okay maybe the three hundred might stun them a little but having their dog euthanized, are they joking? They don't care about their dog!!! They figure they can go and get another one to make vicious. As for that little baby that got mauled, I'm sure that owner didn't lose any sleep over it. He/She needs to go to jail for a few years and when they get out, community service and classes on cruelty to animals and sued for all the medical bills, plus suffering that they caused.