Pit bull ban still possible in Frostburg
FROSTBURG — Frostburg’s elected officials seemed to agree Thursday that they will indeed draft an ordinance to control dangerous and vicious dogs and it could very well ban the ownership of pit bulls.Nothing official happened at the Thursday public meeting of the group, but that will change in October when an ordinance will be made public and yet more comment will be accepted.Public Safety Commissioner John Ralston, who initiated the discussion of such an ordinance following the biting of a man and his dog by an unleashed pit bull on the Frostburg State University campus in June, said Thursday he can envision regulations that would ban ownership of pit bulls or any mix of that breed and would also carry stiff fines for violation.“We should be breed-specific. We don’t want to do a token gesture. We need an ordinance that is stringent and effective and will withstand any challenge,” Ralston said.Only two citizens spoke about the subject at the meeting. Both favored strong dog regulations that would protect Frostburg residents.Jennifer Blatchley, Ormand Street, said she has a young daughter and lives in fear every day of nearby pit bulls that are frequently unleashed and unsupervised.“I have walked outside into my backyard twice and have had to contact police because there was a pit bull loose on my property,” she said. “What would I do if my child was being attacked by one of these dogs? I could not defend her against something that aggressive and that strong.”Blatchley told the council that the Ohio Supreme Court has upheld city ordinances banning the ownership of certain breeds of dogs.City resident Gene Harris asked the council not to accept arguments that banning pit bull ownership is unconstitutional.“The Constitution does not guarantee the right to bear pit bulls,” he said. Harris pointed out that there are regulations dealing with any number of safety issues such as banning 18-wheeled trucks through Frostburg because of past fatal crashes or requiring the wearing of helmets or the use of seat belts. He and Ralston each cited an incident in Bath, N.Y., earlier this month in which a pit bull killed a child.Harris said as well that dilution of the breed should not get a dog off the hook. “If it looks like a pit bull, it is a pit bull,” he said.City Administrator John Kirby said the city has received numerous correspondence about the potential ordinance, some which have been solicited and some which have not.The Humane Society of the United States has provided the city with a draft ordinance that does not target specific breeds of dogs.Kirby said the Sept. 20 public meeting will be used to discuss specifics for an ordinance and a draft of that ordinance will be presented at the Oct. 18 public meeting. At the Nov. 15 meeting, a public hearing will take place and a vote is possible that night. If passed, an ordinance would become effective 20 days later.Michael A. Sawyers can be reached at msawyers@times-news.com.