[Marty]

Quincy,MA -- Marylou DiCalogero is much happier now that her Canton neighborhood is no longer being terrorized by four pit bulls.

She is also happy that more than 250 residents at town meeting last night voted overwhelmingly in favor of placing strict rules on ownership of the dogs in the future.

‘‘Our quality of life is so much better now that those dogs are gone,’’ DiCalogero said. ‘‘Kids are riding bikes again, the elderly aren’t afraid to walk down the streets. It’s a neighborhood again.’’

Canton is the first South Shore town to impose severe limits on pit bull ownership.

Pit bulls have gained notoriety for viciousness and fatal attacks on people and dogs and have been banned in Denver, Ontario and England.

Cities like Boston, Brockton and New Bedford have severe restrictions and penalties covering a multitude of vicious dogs, including muzzling of pit bulls in public places.

What changed for the Sawyer Street neighborhood was the family that owned the dogs moved out, but their presence will never be forgotten by residents and the problems prompted town officials to propose, among other steps, an ordinance limiting a family to having no more than one pit bull.

The new ordinance also requires owners to have a fully enclosed cage, a special license, proof of homeowner’s insurance and, if a pit bull could escape from a house or cage, it must be muzzled.

Residents must be 21 or over to own a pit bull.

The rule was changed from a ban on all pit bulls except those already in town, to allowing one per family.

Several residents spoke in favor of the restrictions, while others warned it did not take into account attacks by other vicious dogs.

In the end, supporters carried the voted by a ratio of more than 2 to 1.

Officials said they would have to look at another ordinance to deal with other vicious dogs, but the new rule is a step in the right direction, and rebutted comments from opponents who said the law amounts to ‘‘canine racism’’ against pit bulls.

‘‘It’s the difference between a fish and a shark,’’ Selectman Robert Burr said after the vote.

Canton town meeting

Here are some of the issues voters decided:

Purchase of new equipment

— Voters approved borrowing more than $21 million to buy new equipment including, four new police cars, pickup trucks for the recreation and highway department, an elevator for the high school; $11 million for two water treatment plants and $7 million for sewer lines on Green Lodge Street.

Expedited Permits for developments

—Voters accepted a new state 180-day window for certain commercial and industrial developments. Additions at Canton Commerce Center, Route 138, and Dunkin’ Brands, 130 Royall St., will be the first projects under the new state law.

The new law allows towns to designate certain sites with the faster permit process. Locations must be 50,000-square-feet or more; must be zoned for commercial or industrial uses.

The law offers the town money to rewrite local zoning laws; puts the town on a priority list for state development grants and adds the town to state Web sites promoting ‘‘business friendly’’ locales.

Route 138 committee

—Voters gave the green-light to form a committee that will find ways to attract business and revitalize the Route 138 commercial corridor


http://www.patriotledger.com/article...ews/news03.txt

[Chiapit]

Originally Posted by Marty Quincy,MA -- Marylou DiCalogero is much happier now that her Canton neighborhood is no longer being terrorized by four pit bulls.

FOUR? agggghhh...four, just boggles my mind...that all this happens over four that were owned one irresponsible person..hang the danged owner..now everyone suffers...including the dogs

[Sean W.]

ridiculous!

[DryCreek]

and, if a pit bull could escape from a house or cage, it must be muzzled.

So, this would mean 24/7?

I understand that the majority of responsible owners make sure this never happens, but any unit of containment that has an exit of any sort makes escape possible...

If it has a door, anything "could" escape if the door is not worked properly by the human supervisor...

[jennay2]

god, this one makes me sick to my stomach. These restrictions are so...impeding on rights. You have to be 21 to own one??? So let me get this straight. I can die for my damn country, vote for who runs my country, but I have to be 21 to own a dog??????????????????????????????

Anyone else see something derangly WRONG with that?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[CoolHandJean]

wow, that is pathetic...Why can't these people see that it isn't the dogs, and that it's the owners? Laws like that just make more criminals. What idiots...Yep, Jennay, I do see something wrong with that.

[demo-dog]

If you have to have homeowner's insurance, this means you can't rent and own a pit bull?