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

(Detroit Free Press) 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.

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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 vice-like jaws bit a cockapoo so hard that the canine victim needed a leg amputated. ...............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2023/09/20/grosse-pointe-shores-pit-bull-ban-detroit-lions-david-montgomery/70904405007/