Grosse Pointe Shores votes to ban pit bulls – and it all started with dog of a Detroit Lion

A canine breed synonymous with illegal dog fights and urban toughness has raised a ruckus in one of Michigan’s wealthiest towns.

Grosse Pointe Shores was the scene this week of Michigan’s latest debate on banning pit bulls. After hearing from dozens of speakers, most of whom opposed a ban, the controversial proposal passed 4-3.

The split decision came even after Mayor Ted Kedzierski said he opposed the new ordinance, predicting it would be tough to enforce and perhaps costly, too. Emotions ran high in the over-capacity crowd, which spilled out of the council chamber and jammed the lobby of City Hall, whose windows overlook the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.

"That was the dumbest thing you've ever done!" shouted resident John L. Booth II, scion of a media fortune, pointing a finger at council members moments after the vote. Earlier, his wife, Becky Booth, had spoken against the ban at the public comment session, exclaiming that there were "liars and bullies on this council." Others who spoke included lawyers, medical doctors and animal-welfare advocates, some in blue blazers and designer shoes, either in favor of or opposed to an ordinance that some said would tarnish the city's image, a few even labeling it racist because pit bulls are popular among Black Americans.

It started with a Lions player's dog

Pit bull debates are nothing new in Michigan. But in upscale Grosse Pointe Shores, where the median household income is about $150,000, the issue added wealth and a touch of celebrity. The contention began with a canine belonging to Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery and his live-in companion. Montgomery suffered a thigh bruise in Sunday’s loss to Seattle. But the pit bull, Lola, beloved by Montgomery’s girlfriend, Tatum Causey, caused far more serious injuries when she escaped in June from the house the two had occupied just days earlier, according to city officials. Lola's vise-like jaws bit a cockapoo so hard that the canine victim needed a leg amputated.

Its owners, Mark and Dana Owen, had been walking their pooch in front of Montgomery's house. They also suffered injuries as they tried to extricate their pet from its attacker, according to a lawsuit they filed seeking damages from Montgomery and Causey. After the attack, Lola's owners agreed to have their dog euthanized, city officials said before Tuesday's meeting. Under the city's existing ordinance governing vicious animals, Causey faces a hearing on Oct. 4 for a misdemeanor charge, City Manager Steve Poloni said. Just before the council's vote, as elected officials discussed the ordinance, the mayor departed from council rules and called to Mark Owen in the audience: "How do you feel about this?"

More: Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery faces civil lawsuit after pit bull attack in Michigan

"I do support the ban," Owen said. "No one else in this room has been on the ground, screaming for his life. I have zero feeling now on the side of my hand" where Lola bit him, Owen said. He added: "My three-legged dog tries to walk and falls on her face after three surgeries, $16,000. It's been absolute hell."

Breed-specific bans across Michigan

Across the state, the same sequence of events – a pit bull attack followed by local leaders taking action – has led to ordinances of various kinds passing in dozens of Michigan cities, from Alma to Zilwaukee, all aimed at pit bulls. Grosse Pointe Woods, which borders Grosse Pointe Shores, has a ban on pit bulls. Key points in the pro and con:

• Ordinances that single out pit bulls are unfair to responsible dog owners, and they’re unfair to the many pit bulls that are non-aggressive, say pit bull defenders. They claim that most examples of the breed are “friendly” and “loving.”

• Other critics of breed-specific ordinances say bans are nearly impossible to enforce because police can issue citations or seize a dog only when someone calls with a complaint, which typically occurs after a vicious dog has attacked. Thus, such ordinances have limited preventive effect.

• Pit bulls are among the so-called bully breeds, dogs first bred in Greece to protect livestock, later chosen as entertainment to fight bears, bulls and other dogs, according to canine historians. The breed’s jaw structure can inflict disabling or fatal injuries, and pit bulls have earned their reputation for aggression in numerous police reports, say those who favor bans. Grosse Pointe Shores officials tabulated recent dog bites and attacks, finding that "the most common offender” was pit bulls, Mayor Pro Tem Donn Schroder said. Schroder, a medical doctor, said he'd read numerous studies of dog bites before pushing for the ban.

Among the dozens who spoke at the meeting, one whose impact reaches all five Grosse Pointe cities was Corinne Martin, executive director of the nonprofit Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society. Her organization occupies a building on Harper Avenue near Vernier Road in Harper Woods, and it sometimes echoes with the barking of noisy dogs. Decades ago, the same site shook with rock music when it was a youth refuge called the Hideout — a launch pad for future stars including Bob Seger, Glenn Frey and Suzi Quatro.

These days the building is "the only state-licensed animal shelter serving all the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods," according to the group's website. Martin told the council members that her group's board of directors were in the audience. She said the group had a contract begun in 2013 to provide shelter services to Grosse Pointe Shores. She warned, "If you pass this ordinance tonight, we are going to consider ending our contract with you."

Should the society decide to end the contract, Grosse Pointe Shores would have a new problem. Its public safety officers would have nowhere to take a vicious dog, whether it's a pit bull or chihuahua, that police might need to seize after a serious incident, Martin said.

The new ordinance won't apply to pet owners who currently own pit bulls, which "are grandfathered in," said Councilman John Dakmak, in comments emailed Wednesday. Those dogs will need to be identified and licensed, however, prior to when the ordinance takes effect in about 30 days, Dakmak said.

That's "another benefit" of the ordinance — that it will raise awareness about the need for all dogs in Grosse Pointe Shores to be licensed, he said.

Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com. Detroit Free Press special writer Marina Johnson contributed.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Grosse Pointe Shores pit bull ban tied to Detroit Lions player's dog