Please take a brief moment to read and sign our petition in defense of responsible pit bull lovers who reside in Elgin. The Mayor and the city council are trying to pass breed-specific legislation that would make it almost impossible financially for the average law-abiding citizen to comply with.
It is just short of an outright ban on pit bulls within our city.
Here are links to articles published in local newspapers after the city council's passing vote on 2/24:
http://elginite.org/blog/2010/02/25/pit-bull-measure-passes-elgin-city-council/http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/2069319,3_1_EL25_06COUNCIL_S1-100225.articlehttp://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=361843Contact info for the councilmen and mayor:
http://www.cityofelgin.org/index.aspx?nid=77Mayor Schrock and councilmen Prigge, Gilliam, and Warren voted for the pit bull specific legislation.
Councilmen Kaptain, Steffen, and Dunne voted against it.
The final vote is on March 10.
Thanks for getting the word out about this. It will be a sad day for Elgin if this breed specific legislation passes.
PLEASE NOTE: We are primarily asking for signatures from residents of Elgin and surrounding communities. However, we do appreciate signatures of support from the rest of the USA.
(Thank you for your support, but signatures from outside of the USA will be deleted.)
Whereas we find the proposed breed-specific changes/restrictions proposed within the City of Elgin Animal ordinances are:
- Based on inaccurate, politicized, and biased information.
- Stigmatizing a whole group of dogs by breed(s) rather than by behavior.
- Not making exemption or provision for responsible owners of these breeds.
- Causing undue hardship on responsible owners of non-dangerous dogs within the stated breed designations.
- Potentially alienating responsible dog owners and owners of other breeds of dogs within the city and surrounding community from the city governance.
- Giving Elgin the reputation of being the city that passes unfair Breed Specific Legislation, instead of being known for its history with the Elgin Watch Company, its first class library and recreation center (The Centre), and its %u201Cinviting neighborhoods, interesting businesses and caring organizations%u201D.
We the undersigned ask that the changes to the existing Animal Ordinances be rescinded and restated to specifically apply only to those dogs of any breed which have actually demonstrated dangerous or vicious behavior respectively. That existing laws be enforced.
