The city council in a small eastern Iowa town this week voted against banning Rottweilers from the community. Hopkinton city officials considered banning the breed of dog after two Rottweilers attacked and killed three-year-old Vanessa Hussman in her backyard last month.
The dogs were family pets. Hopkinton residents Jody and Lisa Davis, owners of a Rottweiler German Shepard mix, were worried the council would pass the ordinance.
“We didn’t think it was fair that we’d have to get rid of (our dog) or put him down, because of what happened,” Jody said. Lisa added, “Any dog can be a vicious dog, it doesn’t matter.” The City of Hopkinton already bans residents from Pit Bulls.
Councilman Bob Ristow says owners need to be responsible for their dogs, regardless of the breed. “To keep on banning the dogs is not correct,” Ristow said. “We feel the dogs need to be contained, and it’s the responsibility of the resident to do that.” The council voted unanimously against adding Rottweilers to the ordinance that pans Pit Bulls.
Ristow said getting rid of Rottweilers, because of this attack, might open up the city to a proposed ban on any dog that bites a resident.
By Jillian Petrus, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids