At a casual glance, it’s difficult to see how the passing of Arizona Senate Bill 1248 impacts Cottonwood’s pit bull owners.
Tacked onto the bill, which helps regulate water usage for the aggregate mining industry, the strike-everything amendment to SB 1248 “prohibits pet stores and dealers from acquiring dogs or cats from unlicensed sources and prevents municipalities and counties from adopting or enforcing ordinances that are inconsistent with this Act.”
According to Cottonwood Police Department Det. Sgt. Tod Moore, the bill has an impact on more issues than it may initially appear, by altering how municipalities enforce dog regulation in general.
“Well, for years the common practice for the city of Cottonwood’s Dog Park was to restrict pit bulls from use of the park due to their reputation as a vicious animal,” Moore stated. “Signage has been in place at the park stating, in fact, that pit bull breed-type dogs were not allowed in the park.”
Moore added that the signage has led to substantial confusion among dog owners, as well as among Cottonwood animal control officers, as to what type of dogs fall into the restricted category.
“SB 1248 takes the confusion away in one small sentence: ‘A city or town may regulate the control of dogs if the regulation is not specific to any breed,’” Moore explained. “So what does this mean for the city of Cottonwood’s Dog Park?
“It means no dogs will be regulated from use of the park based specifically on breed. Rather, dogs will need to be determined to be a vicious animal based on their current or prior actions by an Animal Control Officer.”
As a result of the new requirements, not only are dog owners allowed a greater degree of freedom in allowing their pit bull-type breeds to play alongside other dogs — it also requires all dog owners to prove they are being responsible in allowing their dogs in the park.
“What this means is any canine, regardless of breed, can be regulated from using the park if they show a tendency for aggressive behavior,” Moore stated.
According to Moore, this last statement ultimately reflects nothing new: Frequently in the past, dog owners have been asked to remove their dogs from the park when they have shown aggressive behavior, regardless of breed.
