Trumann, Arkansas Bans Bully Breeds

July 29, 2011

It’s long been that case that if you own certain kinds of dogs, you’ll be hard pressed to find homeowners insurance, but if you live in Trumann, Arkansas, you may find that your favorite pet has been banned from living in the city limits at all.

Members of the City Council of Trumann recently approved an ordinance keeping American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and a few other breeds from living in the city, though pet owners who already own such dogs have sixty days to register them if they want to keep their animals.

Unregistered animals must leave the city, or face being taken into city custody for possible euthanization after eleven days.

In interview with local news station KAIT-TV, Trumann’s mayor, Sheila Walters, said that several adults had been attacked by bully breeds over the last few years, and that as a result, the city feels it needs more control over the people who own such animals.

It should be noted that the vast majority of pit bull terriers and other bully breeds are perfectly safe around people, as long as they’re adequately trained, while those animals trained for dog fighting (the source of the name “pit bull”) pose a higher risk of dog-on-dog aggression.