Statewide breed ban

Katie Brandt
KTTC TV

ROCHESTER, MN -- After a string of high-profile dog attacks one Minnesota lawmaker is saying enough. And now he's working on a statewide breed ban that has animal activists fighting tooth and nail.

Kim Radke, Paws and Claws says, "If we can't keep track of the dogs that are dangerous who's going to enforce the law on this one?"

But State Representative John Lesch isn't worrying about that yet. Right now it's about hammering out the nuts of bolts of a breed-specific ban.

Two young children were recently bitten in St. Paul and Lesch hopes next year's legislation would help prevent that from happening again.
His proposal: outlawing chow chows, wolf hybrids, pit bulls, akitas and rottweilers.

In a recent interview Lesch has said, "You never hear stories about roving packs of golden retrievers attacking children in our streets, but you do hear about the pit bulls, who are responsible, according to Minnesota statistics, for up to one-third of the vicious attacks in this state in the past five years."

But his legislation has local animal activists outraged.

Kim Radke says "I would have to put 6 or 8 dogs down right now and who's going to do that."

While no other states have breed bans some cities like Denver do. But still Paws and Claws' Kim Radke says there are other options.

Kim Radke says, "Have to have a fenced in yard, maybe it's that they need to have proof of insurance and going to training with their animals I think to start with some simpler rules like that."

Kim Radke says, "they're sweet and lovable and with the right ownership they're not going to be a problem."

Under Representative Lesche's proposal anyone owning one of the banned dogs could face as many as 90 days in jail and a fine up to 1 thousand dollars.