Lowell City Councilor Wants To Ban Pit Bulls After Child Is Mauled To Death
LOWELL (CBS) -- A Lowell city councilor is trying to revive efforts to ban pit bulls.
This comes after two pit bulls mauled a 7-year-old boy to death over the weekend.
Candles and balloons mark the spot in Lowell where a boy was fatally mauled by two dogs on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/poXfOyHyst
— Lana Jones (@Lanawbz) October 23, 2017
An ordinance restricting pit bulls in 2011 was shot down by the Massachusetts Legislature when it passed a law banning regulations against specific breeds.
Now Councilor Rodney Elliott, who was behind that ordinance, wants to go a step further this time.
"We banned chickens. . . it's a public health issue," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones. "This is a public safety issue."
Elliott says there are 74 registered pit bulls in city of 108,000 people and Lowell has to take steps to prevent another tragedy.
"People shouldn't have to be worried about walking their dogs where they live, who has a dog that is unpredictable and very aggressive in nature," Elliott said.
The District Attorney's Office said the boy killed Saturday evening was attacked after entering a fenced in area where the pit bulls were being kept. Neighbors disagree over whether the boy went over the fence himself or if the dogs managed to pull him into the area.
A neighbor adding flowers to the memorial on Clare Street said "a lot of people said [the dogs] were very, very friendly," though she doesn't think her neighborhood is a good place for the dogs because there are so many kids around.
Elliott, who is running for reelection, says he's asked the city for dog registration information in what he hopes will be a new attempt at an ordinance.