The City of Ulysses existing ban of "Pit Bull" dog breeds disparages well-mannered dogs from having loving homes and responsible and loving owners, and instead, forces the breed to unduly be kept in shelters or destroyed. Therefore, we seek to no longer have the City of Ulysses, judge an animal by its breed or appearance, but rather, by the character of the individual animal!

 

We, the below-named citizens of Ulysses, Kansas, seek to have the current ban of "Pit Bulls," as currently defined below in the City Ordinance under Chapter 2, Article 3. changed to allow ALL dogs, within the city limits of Ulysses, without discrimination and/or prejudice to the animal or owner, due to its breed.   

Chapter 2, Article 3 of the City Ordinance currently reads as:

ARTICLE 3. PIT BULL DOGS

2-301. ANIMALS: KEEPING PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful to keep,

harbor, own or in any way possess within the corporate limits of the city:

(a) Any warm-blooded, carnivorous or omnivorous, wild or

exotic animal (including but not limited to non-human primates,

raccoons, skunks, foxes and wild and exotic cats; but excluding fowl,

ferrets and small rodents of varieties used for laboratory purposes).

(b) Any animal having poisonous bites.

(c) Any pit bull dog; provided, that pit bull dogs registered with

the city on July 19, 1989 may be kept within the city subject to the

standards and requirements set forth in section 2-302 of this article. Pit

bull dog is defined to mean:

(1) The Staffordshire bull terrier breed of dog;

(2) The American pit bull terrier breed of dog;

(3) The American Staffordshire terrier breed of dog;

(4) Any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of

being predominantly of the breeds of Staffordshire bull terrier, American

pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier; or a combination of any of

these breeds.

(Ord. 823, Sec. 1) 

 

We seek to have the current ordinance changed to allow ALL breeds of dogs, within the city limits of Ulysses, without discrimination and/or prejudice to the animal or owner, due to its breed., and changed to "any vicious dog," as determined by a registered veterinarian. 

 

NOW is the time for change! Friendly, adoptable dogs, continue to be forced to remain in cages while waiting for a forever home due to the discrimination of their breed. Meanwhile, owners of any dog which is, of, or resembles a "pit bull," continue to be forced to restrict the movement and/or cage said animal while within their property and/or home. The current ordinance forces owners of "pit bulls" to acquire expensive liability insurance due to the discriminatory laws against "pit bulls" and/or any dog that resembles a "pit bull" in appearance. NOW is the time to change this breed-specific ban in our city, to allow these animals the rights afforded to all other breeds, so long as they abide by currently existing "animal at large," and leash laws as all other breeds of dogs are currently required to do.