Inside City Hall

Pit Bull dogs get a lot of negative press. After all, they were originally bred to fight. But, they were also bred to be trustworthy and friendly to people. These dogs actually earned the nickname "nursemaid’s dog," because they were so reliable with young children.

The Pit Bull dog is generally a very friendly, stable, safe breed. They can and often do make wonderful family pets. An owner of a Pit Bull must train the dog well. Lack of proper socialization and strong training can result in a dog with aggressive tendencies. Under the care of an overly permissive or uneducated owner, Pit Bulls can become dangerous dogs.

Unscrupulous breeding and the negative media attention have resulted in many cities and counties imposing bans on the breed, citing them as "inherently dangerous" to the public.
In the wake of so much media attention most U.S. cities adopted ordinances restricting the ownership of Pit Bull dogs. The City of Munday passed such an ordinance in May, 2000.
In Munday it is unlawful for any person to own, keep, or in any way possess a Pit Bull dog within the City, unless it is properly registered with the City, the registration fees paid, and is maintained within the City in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance. These requirements are strict.

Munday has a large population of Pit Bulls, most of which are not registered with the City. This means these owners, not the dogs, are not in compliance with the City ordinance. Owners can be cited up to $500 for each dog that is not registered. A limit of two dogs per household is a further restriction.

A Pit Bull dog must be on a leash when not in its pen or kennel. The leash should not exceed six-feet in length and be of sufficient strength not to break. When the dog is on a leash outside its pen it should be muzzled to prevent it biting a person. A young child should not be allowed to walk the dog while it is on a leash. If the dog bolted the child could not hold the leash.
When not on a leash the dogs should be confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen or kennel. The structure must have secure walls, ceiling and floor and must be adequately lighted and ventilated and kept in a clean and sanitary condition.

Pit Bull dogs cannot be kept on a porch, patio, or in any part of structure that would allow the dog to exit the building. These animals should not be kept in a structure when the windows are open or when screen windows or screen doors are the only obstacle preventing the dog from leaving the structure.

All owners of registered Pit Bull dogs within the City should display, in a prominent place on their premises, a sign easily readable by the public, "Beware of Dog -- Pit Bull". A similar sign should be posted on the kennel or pen of each animal.

Pit Bull owners shall provide proof to the City of liability insurance in a single-incident amount of $50,000 for bodily injury or death of any person, or for damage to property. A ten-day written notice of cancellation should be sent to the City in case the owner wishes to cancel the policy.
The Pit Bull owner should provide two color photographs in two different poses, showing the color and approximate size of the animal.

The owner must report any of the following incidents to the City within ten days. The removal from the city or death of a dog: birth of offspring; or new address if the owner moves within the city.

No one can sell, or dispose of a pit bull dog registered with the City unless the recipient person resides permanently in the same household and on the same premises as the registered owner of the dog. The owner may sell a registered pit bull dog or the offspring of such dog to persons who do not reside in the City.

The bad press comes about when individuals have misused the animals by training them to be agressive as fight dogs or watch dogs. Because the Pit Bull is generally such a people-friendly breed, they often make poor guards of property. Many specimens of the breed will allow strangers to enter the home or yard without a fuss. As a guardian of his human, however, the Pit Bull is quite willing and able to intercept an attack. The breed is credited with having an exceptional judgment and will react only to real threats.

To sum it all up, this advice is for all owners of Pit Bull dogs: do not try to make the Pit Bull into something it is not. A good dog can be ruined quite easily, making for a wary, untrusting animal that may become a danger to humans.