Town lifts pit bull ban after dog saves domestic abuse victim
HAZEL PARK, MI (FOX 2)- During a domestic violence attack, Jamie Kraczkowski was saved by her beloved pit bull. When police showed up they took away the pup and FOX 2 reported the story. Then neighbors demanded that something change. On Wednesday, it did.
Kraczkowski told her story to FOX 2 in March. She said her boyfriend at the time got drunk, angry and eventually violent. Until Ice, her pit bull, jumped in. She said she was shoved against the wall and Ice grabbed the man's pant leg and held on.
When they arrived, they told her that typically pit bulls are euthanized but they were giving her special consideration. They gave her five days to remove the dog from the city because it's against Hazel Park has banned dogs. Then fellow dog lovers jumped in to help.
At Wednesday night's city council meeting, Magan Bouchard was one of the residents who stepped up to defend the breed.
"It's not just just pit bulls. I've got nieces and they have a pit bull and live up north and the dog protects the baby," Bouchard said.
"If you have a responsible owner, pit bulls are great dogs"
After hearing from Bouchard and others, the Hazel Park city Council lifted the pit bull ban that had been in place since 2013. City Manager Edward Klobucher said the solution, at the time, was the best they had.
"We can't ban stupid owners so we looked to try to address what was a serious public health situation when we had 40-something bites by pit bulls in the past few years.
While the city approved the dogs again, there are some rules: the dogs have to have a license, they have to have shots, and they have to go through a behavioral assessment to make sure that they're not dangerous. You also have to have a fence and insurance whether you are a renter or a landlord.
Suzanne Rondeau lives in Hazel Park and says the city's not asking for much.
"They need to be licensed, they need to be neutered, they need to be spayed, they need to be trained and then you've got a wonderful thing going on and that's what Hazel Park has asked: basically for just responsible ownership," Rondeau said.
Bouchard husband, Al, said it's not the dogs, it's the owners.
"Pit bills aren't the problem. The people that own them and raise them are the problem. They're the ones who need to be put to sleep," he said.