Didnt know Louisiana had a New Llano? Pit bull ban struck down. LAKE CHARLES Town’s enforcement of pit bull ban halted A federal judge in Lake Charles has barred enforcement of a ban on pit bulls and pit bull lookalikes in the town of New Llano until she hears a challenge to the ordinance. The lawsuit was brought by Victor and Christine Nelson, whose dog Mazzy was confiscated by town authorities. U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi’s order Tuesday also let the Nelsons take Mazzy home. Their lawsuit says the ordinance violates equal protection, property and due process rights by letting the town seize the dogs and put them to death. “The state of Louisiana has a dangerous dog law,” said Fred Kray, an attorney for the Nelsons. “If a dog bites, a case is filed in district court. There has to be a hearing, and it goes before a judge. How can a dog that hasn’t done anything but look like a pit not have those same rights?” Kray said Mazzy now has the same restrictions as a pit bull owned before the ordinance went into effect. The dog must be muzzled when outdoors, and the Nelsons must have $100,000 in liability coverage for the dog, post a $1,000 cash bond and display signs that say they have a “partial pit bull,” he said. The ordinance passed in March 2013 bans “dogs that have the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of the breeds of dogs known as Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier.” Kray said a trial date will be set in August.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 02:14:26 +0000
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