x
Breaking News
More () »

Pit bull advocates push cities to repeal bans on breed

Last year, Castle Rock lifted its ban partly because leaders said it was unenforceable.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — As efforts to overturn Aurora's pit bull ban hang in the balance, champions of the breed are sending their message to the entire Denver metro area.

On Sunday, they met at Comedy Works in Greenwood Village, one of several cities in the metro area that actually allows pit bulls, for the Stand Up for Pits fundraiser.

Stand Up for Pits is a nationwide nonprofit organization that is "dedicated to saving lives and ending the abuse and discrimination of Pit Bull 'type' dogs (Pibbles) through live events, funds, education and advocacy," according to the group's website.

"It helps raise awareness about fear-based ignorance and discrimination and how it's not OK," said Rebecca Corry, the foundation's executive director. "It's not OK to do to humans or dogs."

Last year, Castle Rock lifted its ban partly because leaders said it was unenforceable.

RELATED: Castle Rock ends 25-year pit bull ban

RELATED: Pit bulls could soon be allowed in Aurora

These cities still ban pit bulls: Aurora, Commerce City, Denver, La Junta, Louisville.

Lone Tree bans all "fighting breeds" including pit bulls, American Bulldogs, Dogo Argentinos, Canary Dogs, Presa Mallorquins, Tosa Inus, Cane, Corsos, and Fila Brasileiros.

In May of 2017, the 9NEWS Verify team set out to learn if pit bulls were as dangerous as the people who support these bans believe.

9NEWS learned that pit bulls are actually about average when it comes to aggression when compared to other breeds. They are high on the list of aggression against other dogs, but definitely not the highest.

RELATED: Huge response to 9NEWS pit bull story

And while a pit bull is strong enough to do a lot of damage when it bites, it doesn't bite differently than other dogs.

Aurora City Councilman Charlie Richardson wants to repeal the ban against the breed as part of a larger overhaul of the current animal code the city started a few months ago which is why he said: "now is the time to bring this issue up."

"We've come a long way from the time when these dogs were associated with gangs and dog fighting," Richardson told 9NEWS in July.

The current ban would be replaced with new regulations that look at each individual dog and not any breed as a whole, according to Richardson. He said the system would be based on a dog's behavior.

Richardson said this effort has been put on hold till after the upcoming election citing a lot of work left to do with the possibility of six new council members.

SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS

Before You Leave, Check This Out