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Pit Bull Dogs Are Illegal In North Little Rock

More than one-third of the citations heard in the February 2018 session of animal court in North Little Rock were for possession of pit bull dogs. It is illegal to possess a pit bull dog in our city, and has been illegal since 2004. In fact, more than thirty-five cities across Arkansas have banned pit bulls.

 

North Little Rock Ordinance Number 7673, passed on November 22, 2004, states:

 

"Banned pit bull breeds of dogs are banned entirely and may not be owned or kept within the city."

 

If the dog is at your property, or at property you rent, you can receive a ticket. Even if the dog does not actually belong to you, you are technically keeping the dog within the city limits if you are holding it for someone else.

 

The ordinance also sets forth the procedure for the Animal Shelter to deal with violations:

 

"(1) The animal will be seized by NLRAC (North Little Rock Animal Control) and held for three business days for the owner to reclaim the dog with a reclaim fee of $100.00. The owner must sign an affidavit agreeing to immediately move the animal out of North Little Rock city limits. The animal must be marked with a NLRAC number and spayed or neutered prior to its release to owner.

 

(2) If the animal is not reclaimed within three business days as prescribed by Section 10-46(g)(1), it shall be humanely destroyed by NLRAC personnel.

 

(3) If the animal is found within the city limits a second time, the owner shall, upon conviction in the North Little Rock District Court be fined…Any such order of conviction shall include seizure of the animal by NLRAC personnel to be humanely destroyed."

 

The procedural costs of reclaiming the animal does not include any fines and court costs associated with the ticket issued for owning or keeping a banned breed dog in the city. Typically fines for first offenses can cost $500 per animal and second offenses can cost $1000 per animal. Fines can vary according to circumstances at the judge’s discretion.

 

It is certainly going to be expensive to hold a pit bull in North Little Rock and will likely be fatal for the dog or dogs involved. Why would anyone knowingly put their family through the trauma of having their dog euthanized? Since the law is very clear, and since it has been in effect for more than thirteen years, does the owner/holder of the banned dog not bear the responsibility for the fate of that pet? The solution is simple: Do not own/keep pit bull dogs in North Little Rock.

 

Looking at national statistics collected for 2005 to 2013*, pit bull dogs were responsible for 176 deaths, or 62.2% of all fatal dog attacks nationwide. In 2016 pit bulls contributed to 71% of fatal dog attacks although they only made up about 6% of the total dog population. 42% of victims in 2016 were aged 9 years or younger, with infants accounting for almost one-third of all child victim fatalities. Pit bulls certainly do not bite nearly as often as many other types of dogs, but when they do bite there can be serious, sometimes fatal, consequences.

 

*Statistics from DogsBite.org.