Leaders researching changes to pit bull ban

By KMBC Staff

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    OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (KMBC) — In Overland Park, Kansas, city leaders are now researching changes to a possible ban on pit bulls.

Currently, it’s illegal to own a pit bull inside city limits. Several residents have been working to change that.

Critics call the ban subjective since animal control officers have to relay on how a dog looks to identify the dog’s breed. The city’s ban defines pit bulls as any dog that’s a Staffordshire terrier breed, any American pit bull terrier breed, as well as dogs “which have the appearance and characteristics” found in those breeds.

Kansas City’s NPR Station, KCUR, reports at least 25 people spoke at last week’s Overland Park public safety committee meeting about the ban.

They report only one person was against repealing the ordinance, which has been in place for 16 years. And, in a recent citywide survey on the ban, most of the 1,600 responses were in favor of repealing it.

Overland Park, Leawood, and Independence, Missouri, are some of the last cities in the metro area with breed-specific dog bans.

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