Shut Out: City Official Cancels Meeting With Newark Pit Bull Owner Regarding Complaints Against Animal Control Officer

Pit bull ordinances have generally been another name for pit bull bans, but in some cases, it has been more of a regulation. In Newark, a pit bull is allowed to exist, but must pass a “good citizenship” test. 10TV News reports that as part of this pit bull test, the breed is automatically designated a “vicious” dog, but allowed after passing the test that requires the pit to be friendly with strange animals, and can sit or stay on command.

The Inquisitr has reported on another locale that had planned on repealing a pit bull ban, and replacing it with something similar.

According to the Newark Advocate, Liz Acord says her pit bull has successfully passed Newark’s test, but a specific animal control officer was taking a breed specific issue with her dog. Acord said she had a meeting scheduled with Newark safety director Bill Spurgeon to address her concerns with officer Toby Wills, but had the meeting cancelled by Spurgeon at the last minute. Mr. Spurgeon alleges that his reason for the cancellation was simply because there was not a formal complaint made.

“I simply cannot have a public forum to attack a public employee without any documentation. They must be formal complaints or else we don’t have anything conclusive to go on.”

At this time, Acord has not filed a formal complaint, but is considering such an action. According to the Newark Advocate, she did not share a specific complaint with Officer Wills, but states that she is frustrated with how Wills performs his job. More specifically, she seems to indicate, his job as it relates to pit bulls.

“I want him to be somewhere else and have somebody else in his position. I think we need somebody new with a different outlook and somebody that loves all breeds of animals.”

Ms. Acord took to social media with an online petition in November to seek the removal of Officer Wills. The petition garnered around 500 signatures, with some being from out of the state. Several came from Newark specifically, but also came from Idaho, Illinois, and Australia. Invitations to the meeting, that had been planned prior, had upwards of 30 people expected to attend. Some local news outlets were among the invitations sent out for the meeting.

Acord said she was not aware of the amount of people interested in attending the meeting, but was aware there were others planning to attend. Although Mr. Spurgeon was quoted in saying that the lack of a formal complaint was the reason behind his cancellation, reports suggest he made his decision based on the viewing social media invitations and seeing that a small crowd was to attend the meeting.

[Image Via Wikimedia Commons]