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July 10, 2009

Dog owners found in violation of ordinance banning pit bull dogs

By Michael Schaffer - Managing editor

Two Centerville residents approached the City Council Monday night with one simple request...let us license our dog so we can keep them in town.

Both residents own mixed breed, part pit bull dogs that were not licensed in a timely fashion. The city passed an ordinance banning American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire bull terrier breed of dogs, rotweiller and Presa Canario (dogos) breed of dogs and any owner of such dogs who did not have the dog licensed by Dec. 1, 2008 cannot legally keep that dog inside the city limits.

For Peggy Oden and her mixed breed dog Rufus, part American Staffordshire terrier and labrador retriever, it appeared she had a chance to keep her dog inside the city limits.

Oden said she never thought of Rufus as a pit bull and even the vet at Country Village Animal Clinic thought he was a labrador.

At one point Councilman Kris Koestner made a motion to allow Oden the opportunity to purchase a dog license. It died for lack of a second.

The council decided to have animal control officer Tom Beck review the information Oden provided — a $150 Wisdom Panel mixed breed analysis done at Country Village Animal Clinic — and make a recommendation to the mayor who would then pass the decision on to the council.

Oden on Thursday received a letter from the city signed by Mayor Marsha Mitchell informing her she had until Aug. 8 to get rid of Rufus.

But for Wanda Egbert and her mixed breed dog Sheba, part pit bull and boxer, the outlook was not as promising. Egbert said the dog she has had since 2008 is like a member of the family.

Mitchell indicated Egbert didn't do what was necessary in order to be grandfathered in. Other pit bull owners have given up their dogs and to allow one exemption wouldn't be fair to them, she said.

City Clerk Kris May told Egbert the city worked with dog owners who had them licensed by Dec. 1, 2008.

"There are some that have asked us to put their animals down already," May said. "Because we told them that they had to get their dogs out-of-town because they didn't have them licensed by Dec. 1. How are they going to feel if we were to say yes to you?"

Egbert insisted her dog is not mean, has had its shoots and is fixed. She said she wasn't going to get rid of her dog and the city could put her in jail for 30 days.

Egbert by telephone Thursday afternoon said she went to City Hall on Wednesday to get a dog tag for her dog. Once there, a city employee refused to sell her the tag and told her the council said you had to either get your dog out-of-town or get rid of it.

Egbert said the city has not sent her any letters nor has Beck visited her house.

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This week the Iowegian wants readers to think about the recent decision by the Centerville Municipal Waterworks Board of Directors to increase the fee for late payment of water bills. In a story published in Wednesday's Ad Express, board members announced a 10 percent late fee after two days late, a $50 red tag fee for accounts unpaid after seven days late and a $25 shut off fee, water service terminated after two weeks late. The board said the decision to increase the fees associated with late payment is to encourage customers to pay their bills on time. So, the question this week is, "Are these fees too much to ask for?"

A. Yes, they are.
B. No, they are not.
C. I'm not affected so I don't care.
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