Johnson County city becomes latest to drop pit bull ban. KC area has some holdouts
Prairie Village has joined a growing list of cities across the Kansas City metro that have repealed bans on pit bulls.
This week, the City Council voted 9-2 to end the prohibition on the breed — a move the Council tried and failed to accomplish in 2016. Prairie Village follows the lead of nearby cities, including Shawnee, Roeland Park and Fairway. Kansas City, Kansas, and Liberty both removed their ordinances this past year.
Now, only a few cities in the area have maintained their bans, including Overland Park and Independence.
Prairie Village’s old law banned any dog that looks like a pit bull terrier — square-faced, bulky-bodied dogs.
Across the country, breed-specific legislation has waned, with advocates arguing such laws amount to discrimination against certain dogs. They contend there is no evidence proving pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs.
But others still worry about attacks, saying the city isn’t doing enough to enforce its animal control laws or prevent dog bites. Prairie Village City Council members Courtney McFadden and Dan Runion voted against repealing the ban, arguing the city should first impose stricter animal control regulations.
McFadden warned against “add(ing) more dogs to the issue when we don’t have preventative measures in place.”
Before this week’s meeting, the City Council said it received more than 80 messages from residents who wanted the ban lifted, and nine from those who want to keep the ban.
Julie Wall of NationalPitBullVictimAwareness.org wrote a letter to The Star saying that while pit bull-type dogs are 7% of the dog population, they account for 46% of dog bites.
But in recent years, organizations such as the American Kennel Club and American Veterinary Association have spoken against breed-specific legislation, arguing there is little evidence to determine if a dog is dangerous based on its breed.
