HOHENWALD - A resolution before the City Council would prohibit ownership of pit bull terriers within the city limits, but opponents say lawmakers should focus on the animals' caretakers instead.

Mayor Bob Burklow said the pit bull ban is a safety issue intended to protect the public from a potentially dangerous animal.

"It's something that I have wanted to address for a long time, because I would hate for a child to get mauled by one of those and then say, 'Maybe we need to do something about it,'" he said. "I want to be proactive not reactive."

However, Victoria Chamberlin, owner of Animal Attraction pet grooming service, said she doesn't believe breeds of dog should be outlawed because humans cause the animal behavior through mistreatment.

"It's the mentality of the person who has made the dog what they want it to be," she said. "Any dog could be made mean and aggressive."

Chamberlin said she owns a pit bull and does not believe they are inherently more aggressive than other breed of dog.

Burklow disagreed.

"I don't claim to be an expert on pit bulls; I just know that they're a problem, and they're trained to be viscous," he said. "I'm sure there's people that's going to say that their dog is not like that, (but) they can turn in an instant."

Burklow also said the pit bull ban may help with drug enforcement because drug dealers often use the dogs as protection or a warning system against visitors to their home.

"That's not to say that the pit bull is the only one that those type of people utilize, but that's one of them," he said. "Where people's got two or three of them tied around the house, that's a pretty good indication that there's something going on."

Chamberlin said certain types of people are attracted to certain types of animals, but the responsibility for taking care of the dogs still remains on the owners.

"People shouldn't be allowed to have animals who don't have good intentions or common sense," she said. "If you're dealing drugs and you're getting a dog, you're not getting a dog to be a family pet, you're getting it to protect your drugs and to protect yourself."

The council will hear the second of three readings on the ban during its March 1 meeting at City Hall.

Burklow said no one spoke in opposition to the ban during the Feb. 1 meeting, but he expects publicity over the resolution to spark more interest at next month's meeting. The council voted unanimously to pass the resolution on its first reading.

Burklow said the wording of the resolution has not been finalized, but it likely will contain a "grandfather" clause to allow existing pit bull owners to keep their dogs that would entail a registration process. He said the council may elect to target other breeds, such as rottweilers or chows, or may enact a viscous dog ordinance of some type.