Pit bull ban proposal dropped in Fond du Lac

FOND DU LAC - A member of Fond du Lac's city council has dropped his proposal to ban pit bulls in the city.

Rob Vande Zande changed his mind after dozens of opponents voiced their displeasure with his plans at Fond du Lac's city council meeting.

Vande Zande was presenting two ordinances. The first would have prevented any new pit bulls from living in city limits. Pit bulls already living in the city would have been allowed to stay. However, the dogs would have needed to be muzzled, put on a four-foot leash and the owner would have needed to have $300,000 worth of liability insurance.

The second proposal was non-breed specific. It proposed a dog could have been deemed vicious or dangerous if it were to bite someone or another animal. If a dog were labeled vicious or dangerous it would have required a muzzle, four-foot leash and the liability insurance.

Vande Zande says he proposed the ordinances after several citizen complaints about pit bulls the past two years.

Wednesday night's city council meeting was at maximum capacity. The council president said people had to be turned away from the meeting.

A petition against the pit bull ban started five days before the council meeting. A representative for the petition says it had more than one thousand signatures.