Red Bay Council considers regulating pit bulls

Red Bay City Council approved the introduction of Ordinance 20220615, which would regulate the keeping of pit bull dogs within the City of Red Bay, during its June 1 meeting.

“I think this has been necessary for some time,” explained Red Bay Mayor Charlene Fancher. She said part of the work done has included gathering ordinances from other cities. “I would like the council to have until the next meeting to read over the ordinance.”

Fancher said if the ordinance passes, it would not mean city residents would be unable to keep pit bulls they already have.

“It just means you would need to register your dog with city hall, and there would be certain requirements to do that,” Fancher explained. “We know about this situation, and it’s time that we do something to put this in place for the protection of our citizens. The bottom line is, we’ve had several situations where we’ve had to deal with pit bulls.”

She noted that the city’s existing animal ordinance addresses other breeds. “This is specifically for pit bulls.”

She encouraged the council to read over the proposed ordinance, which she explained is a model based on the City of Sheffield, between now and the next meeting and to make note of any questions or anything they think needs to be changed.

Fancher explained that if the ordinance passes, as of that date, it would prohibit new pit bulls from coming into the city. “It will protect those that are already here with their owners, but it would prohibit new ones from coming in.”

The motion passed in the meeting only approves the introduction of the ordinance, not the ordinance itself. The issue will be on the agenda at the next meeting, which will be June 15. The work session starts at 3 p.m., and the meeting starts at 3:30 p.m. Meetings are held at Red Bay City Hall.