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Sunday, December 19, 2004
By JOHN SHARP
of the Journal Star
PEKIN - When Pekin Mayor Lyn Howard awoke at 5:30 a.m.
Thursday and turned on his television to CNN, he was shocked
by what he saw.
A ticker of the day's hottest events around the nation flashed a
reference to Pekin's attempts to regulate no more than three
animals per household, he said.
"I was surprised," Howard said. "You just don't expect to see
Pekin, Illinois, on national news."
The city's brief appearance on a national TV news ticker is just
one of the unexpected chain of events that have centered around
the happenings at City Hall last week when a proposed animal
control ordinance was introduced.
The proposal, which is only in its "first draft," includes sweeping
changes to how the city governs animal ownership.
Some of the restrictions include placing a ban on wild animals,
defining what constitutes a "dangerous" or "vicious" dog or cat,
and limiting where a pet owner can leash a dog or cat.
The changes are an attempt for the City Council to address a
growing number of dog attacks in and around the city.
But the proposal also addresses regulations on ownership of all
types of animals.
And after it was introduced at Monday's council meeting, dozens
of pet owners of all types immediately began to voice their
disapproval.
The complaints have ranged from responsible cat and dog
owners who disapprove of the proposed three dog per
household limit to snake lovers who believe a ban on the ball
python is unfair.
Even falcon, or birds of prey, owners have voiced their concerns
about the measure.
"It's just been a steady flow of phone calls and e-mails and
phone calls at my home," Howard said. "I understand their
concerns."
Before Monday's meeting, the council scheduled a 4 p.m. Jan. 6
meeting so members of the public can voice their concerns
about the proposed ordinance.
But that didn't stop people from showing in force Monday.
Some pet owners accused the council of trying to snatch their
beloved pets from their homes, while others claimed they would
move out of Pekin if the ordinance was approved.
And at least one pet owner called the city's proposal
"un-American."
"Right now, people are going overboard in their comments and
attitude," Councilman Bill Maddox said. "Any time you write an
ordinance like this, you go through a half-dozen different drafts
(before approving a final ordinance).
"It's completely uncalled for the degree of animosity this is
raising," he added.
Dog days
There have been more high-profile dog attacks in Pekin this year
than compared to years past.
The problems began April 26 when 60-year-old Carl Little was
bitten by a pit bull while mowing his lawn. The attack was so
serious that Little had to undergo surgery to his face.
More attacks followed, including one where Tazewell County
sheriff's deputies described a group of neighbors using golf
clubs to keep an aggressive dog away.
The most recent attack occurred when an 8-year-old boy was
bitten by a dog on Caroline Street.
When police arrived, they found the dog with blood on its face
and unstable. With no way to subdue the animal, police shot it.
What has been frustrating to Little and others who have been
attacked is that Pekin's animal control ordinance lacks the teeth
needed to punish the owners of out-of-control dogs.
Unlike Peoria and East Peoria, Pekin's ordinance does not
define what constitutes a "dangerous" or "vicious" animal. The
current ordinance also levies only minimal fines.
As such, the City Council commissioned a study to overhaul its
ordinance and assigned Assistant City Attorney Sue Boisch to
make the changes.
For at least three months, Boisch said she traveled around
Pekin to see what kind of problems existed. She was surprised
over what she found.
"I have seen households with five dogs or more outside and
even more inside," Boisch said. "The state of their yards would
potentially be considered a nuisance because of the smell. I've
seen back yards of complete dirt because of the animals."
Boisch said she analyzed neighboring communities' ordinances
in search for a way to address dangerous or vicious animals.
But the proposed ordinance takes things a step further by
addressing leash laws, wild animals and other items that have
created an emotional fervor among pet owners in Pekin.
"I think all we wanted to do was address the dog ordinance,
which we had a problem with," Councilman Harvey Richmond
said. "I think it was the council's fault not to give (Boisch) the right
information on what to do."
Snake bitten
When the council introduced its proposed ordinance Monday, all
types of animal lovers showed up in force.
That included supporters of pet snakes, including ball pythons,
and other exotic animals like iguanas and dart frogs.
"Obviously, we know people have fears of snakes, spiders and
so on," said Gene Holmes of Peoria and a past president of the
Central Illinois Herpetological Society, which has approximately
100 members throughout the region. "But there is no just reason
to ban them."
A majority of council members agree.
"From what I found out from our police department and animal
control, we haven't had that many problems before (with snakes
or other reptiles)," Richmond said. "We've got to address that
and get it taken care of. I mean, how many ball pythons do you
see running down Court Street?"
The council wants its ordinance to mirror state law, which
prohibits the ownership of venomous and life-threatening
reptiles.
But state law allows for snake ownership, including pythons no
bigger than between 15 and 20 feet in length. Also, crocodiles or
alligators under four feet can be privately owned.
Councilman Fred Massaglia said the council should define the
wild animals that should be prohibited.
"We're not after hamsters and gerbils ... it's common sense," he
said. But "we don't need poisonous snakes, skunks or coyotes
in Pekin. Certainly, you wouldn't want an elephant in your back
yard."
Understanding animals
Experts and longtime dog trainers claim Pekin is doing the right
thing by addressing aggressive dogs who attack people.
But conventional wisdom shows that all dogs are capable of
attacking, they claim.
"Any dog can be dangerous and can bite," said Jane Clark,
owner and consultant at Dog Training Plus in Peoria. "It depends
on a number of things including genetics and, of course, how the
dog is raised."
Clark said it's important for pet owners to consider the social
surroundings of their animal, especially dogs.
She said a dog should face a number of positive social
surroundings, be present around children and pets.
A lack of social experiences or a negative occurrence, especially
during the animal's younger years, can create a dangerous side
to the animal's nature, she said.
"A poorly bred dog with a lack of social exposure and is
unneutered will be more likely to bite," Clark said. "A dog that has
a more positive exposure and is put into a strange situation, but
has obedience, is less likely to bite."
Clark said it's the responsibility of a pet owner to make sure their
animal is not aggressive toward people and other animals.
And that's what the city is hoping their ordinance addresses.
"If someone wants to live in a zoo in their home, that's their
business," Councilman Jim Jones said. "But if they move their
animals outside and it bothers their neighbor, that should be
addressed."
Animal control
Needless to say, it's been one weird week for Pekin's elected
officials.
Now more than ever, they seem to be aware of animal-related
situations around them.
Jones said on Tuesday, one day after he listened as pet owners
complained about the city's proposed ordinance, he spotted a
neighborhood cat with a redbird in its mouth.
The cat, which was not his, was in Jones' back yard terrorizing
his bird feeder.
"Cats are not allowed to run loose," he said.
Maddox, meanwhile, said while driving on South Third Street, he
spotted a large dog hooked on a heavy rope in a residence's
front yard chasing a letter carrier on a nearby sidewalk.
The city's proposed ordinance would ban people from leashing
their animals in the front yard. Animals need to be within an
enclosed area if they are in someone's front yard.
"These are the animals we need to control," he said. "If I'm a
letter carrier or a meter reader, I should be able to approach
these homes and do my job without fear of attack."
While the public is allowed to speak on Jan. 6, Jones predicts
the city is "nowhere near" approving the ordinance.
Mayor Howard, however, hopes things are wrapped up by the
end of January.
"I don't want another situation like that little boy (on Caroline
Street) getting bit again," he said.
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