About 30 people wearing orange turned out for the Eureka Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday (June 5) and urged city officials to lift the city’s ban on American pit bull terriers.
Board members did not lift the ban but said they would look into the possibility.
Eureka resident Jamie Tiff was among those asking for the ban and suggested that the board remove 20 words in Chapter 4 of the city’s code or at least change the language to ban violent dogs instead of pit bulls or one particular breed. Tiff said she doesn’t have a pit bull right now but did in the past.
“I feel for people who have them and are forced to give them up, or people who want to live in areas like Eureka and can’t because they don’t want to give up their animals,” she said.
The ban was put in place in 2007 after there were several reports about aggressive pit bulls in the Legends area, and then it was updated in 2012, Mayor Kevin Coffey said.
The group said they wore orange shirts because the color represents animal cruelty prevention and breed discrimination awareness.
Another group member, Mandy Ryan, who said she has worked in the animal field for 17 years and is president of the Missouri Bully Alliance and Missouri K9 Friends, also asked the board to reexamine its ban.
“We want them to repeal the breed-specific section in their ordinance, have stronger enforcement of their leash laws, encourage responsible ownership,” Ryan said. “Right now, I know it (the city’s pit bull ban) is not very strongly enforced, and it is a vague ordinance.”
Ryan said Tiff previously asked the board to repeal its ban, and after that attempt failed, she contacted Ryan for help.
“Jamie has tried to come forward before in her city and has met a couple of roadblocks,” Ryan said.
Tiff, Ryan and other members of the group told the board that business owners and homebuyers were not choosing Eureka because of the ban.
Coffee said he didn’t buy that argument, adding that Eureka is the fastest growing community in St. Louis County.
He said he had not heard of any businesses or homebuyers who stayed away because of the ban.
“I have to disagree that a pit bull ban is in anyway economically impactful to Eureka,” Coffey said.
He said the board must consider the safety of the community, as well as individual rights.
“It’s a balance issue,” he said.
Some confusion arose during the meeting when Ward 3 Alderman Steve Grzyb made a motion to get rid of the ban, and Ward 2 Alderman Carleen Murray seconded it but then suggested that city staff research the issue and bring back a recommendation to the board.
There was a vote on Grzyb’s motion, which failed 4-2, with Grzyb and Murray voting in favor and Ward 2 Alderman Bryan Kiefer, Ward 1 Alderman Wes Sir, Ward 1 Alderman Bob Berry and Ward 3 Alderman Jerry Holloway voting against it.
Then, the board voted on Murray’s idea to have staff research the topic, which was approved 5-1, with Sir casting the dissenting vote. He said he voted against it because he wants to research the topic himself before moving forward.
The next aldermen meeting is 7 p.m. June 19, but Coffey said the issue probably won’t be on that agenda because it will take the board a while to review and research all the information presented.
He said the issue will most likely be voted on at the July 3 meeting.
“Everyone, including myself and staff, is very open-minded to the proposal, and they are taking a very serious look at it,” he said.
Tiff said she was surprised that the board brought the issue to a vote and, overall, was pleased with the results of the meeting.
“Although it (a repeal of the ban) didn’t pass, I am very hopeful and happy that they want to take time to look over our information,” she said. “I am pretty confident that once they read through all of that and go to a vote it will pass.”
If the ban is lifted, Tiff said she would consider rescuing a pit bull.