![\"Pit](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.animals24-7.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picsart_25-02-04_21-38-21-960-e1738733930584.jpg?ssl=1\")
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<\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n LITTLE ROCK,\u00a0 Arkansas\u2013\u2013<\/strong>At least 30 cities in Arkansas ban or otherwise closely restrict possession of pit bulls,\u00a0 two more in 2025 than 10 years earlier,\u00a0 for relatively obvious reasons.<\/p>\n With barely more than three million human residents, \u00a023% fewer than the single city of Los Angeles, \u00a0California,\u00a0 Arkansas ranks 33rd among the 50 U.S. states in human population,\u00a0 but fourth in human pit bull fatalities since 2017,\u00a0 behind only California,\u00a0 Texas,\u00a0 and Florida.<\/p>\n Surprisingly,\u00a0 though,\u00a0 among Arkansas major mass media,\u00a0 only Ainsley Platt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette <\/em>and Arkansas Online<\/em> seems to have noticed the February 1,\u00a0 2025 arrival of the Best Friends Animal Society in Little Rock,\u00a0 the state capital,\u00a0 announcing intent to introduce a state law to undo all those pit bull restrictions.<\/p>\n <\/a> Pit bull lobbyist Ledy Vankavage.<\/strong><\/em> \u201cThe director of legislation and campaign strategy for the Best Friends Animal Society said that Arkansas is within reach of becoming the South\u2019s first \u2018no-kill\u2019 state,\u201d\u00a0 reported Platt, \u00a0\u201cand that the group hopes to pass a law during the ongoing legislative session banning so-called breed-specific legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n What relationship do those two goals have?<\/p>\n The Best Friends Animal Society says 6,300 dogs and cats were euthanized in Arkansas shelters during 2023,\u00a0 of whom 4,500 were dogs;\u00a0 1,700 were cats.<\/p>\n Of the 4,500 dogs,\u00a0 national data suggests that upward of 3,000 were pit bulls.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Logically the answer to that should be statewide breed-specific legislation requiring\u2013\u2013and helping to facilitate\u2013\u2013sterilization of pit bulls.<\/p>\n But instead of escalating spay\/neuter of pit bulls,\u00a0 and for that matter,\u00a0 helping to enable more access to affordable spay\/neuter of all dogs and cats,\u00a0 the Best Friends Animal Society aims merely to enable Arkansas animal shelters overcrowded with pit bulls to rehome more of them.<\/p>\n Note that campaigns similar to the campaign the Best Friends Animal Society launched in Arkansas on February 1,\u00a0 2025 have already prohibited breed-specific ordinances in 23 states.<\/p>\n None of those states are even within howling distance of becoming \u201cno kill.\u201d\u00a0 Many have actually experienced increased shelter admissions and euthanasias in recent years,\u00a0 despite introducing \u201cmanaged admission\u201d policies meant to keep animals out of shelters.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Nationally,\u00a0 according to Shelter Animals Count,\u00a0 an entity formed in 2011 largely out of denial by several national animal advocacy organizations that pit bull overpopulation can be reduced \u00a0in any but a breed-specific manner, \u00a0total dog euthanasias in 2024 did not decline at all.<\/p>\n As Shelter Animals Count itself admitted,\u00a0 \u201cNon-live outcomes in shelters have risen by 0.5% for dogs.\u00a0 The increase for dogs is driven by government organizations,\u201d\u00a0 meaning open-admission animal control shelters that cannot legally turn away dangerous dogs,\u00a0 \u201cwhere non-live outcomes grew by 1.5%,\u00a0 now standing 17.5 higher than in 2019,\u00a0 with a non-live outcome of 15% of total intakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Some government-operated shelters in Arkansas have tried to avoid taking in pit bulls despite their mandate to protect public safety.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Summarized People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals animal care and control specialist Theresa Chagrin in June 2023,\u00a0 \u201cHotSR.com <\/em>reported that a publicly funded\u00a0facility with \u201cno-kill\u201d policies doing business as Hot Springs Animal Services had refused to accept dangerous animals.\u201d<\/p>\n The shelter in question was the John Seales Animal Services Center,\u00a0 named after John Seales,\u00a0 1946-2022.\u00a0 Seales,\u00a0 then in the U.S. Navy,\u00a0 from 1965 to 1969 founded and operated the first U.S.-style animal shelter in Vietnam at Binh-Thuy, \u00a0handling both military dogs and strays found on the base.<\/p>\n Leaving the Navy and Vietnam in 1971,\u00a0 Seales served as Hot Springs director of animal control from\u00a01973 to 1998,\u00a0 emphasizing both public safety and spay\/neuter.<\/p>\n But the John Seales Animal Services Center in recent years has not operated as Seales would have run it.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Summarized Chagrin,\u00a0 \u201cA spokesperson for the facility said that\u2019\u201cmany times people want to surrender [an animal] or bring in a stray [who] is attacking other people or animals, \u00a0and Animal Services will not take those.\u00a0 If your animal is vicious and attacking people or other animals, \u00a0we can\u2019t adopt that animal. \u00a0We won\u2019t take animals just to euthanize them.\u201d<\/p>\n Some cities in Arkansas have already repealed pit bull bans,\u00a0 notably Dardanelle, population 4,500,\u00a0 in 2022.\u00a0 The animal control strategy there,\u00a0 a spokesperson told the Dardanelle Courier<\/em>,\u00a0 was to \u201cplace our animals with different people, \u00a0different groups, \u00a0who relocate them all over the United States,\u201d\u00a0 intending \u201cto eventually become a no kill shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n While Dardanelle does not appear to have had a catastrophe yet in relocating pit bulls \u201call over the United States,\u201d\u00a0 several other Arkansas small town shelters and rescues have.<\/p>\n (See 19 dead puppies & $12,000 in fines, but shelter director says he\u2019d do it\u00a0again?<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> Clint and Amber Fontenot.<\/strong><\/em> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>The human toll since 2017,\u00a0 during which time only pit bulls have killed Arkansans:<\/p>\n Francisco Batz-Lux<\/strong>,\u00a0 42,\u00a0 of Albertville,\u00a0 Alabama,\u00a0 was on December 22,\u00a0 2024 found dead in a trailer park.<\/p>\n (See\u00a0Pit bull victim Kingsley Wright, age 3, was 70th dog attack death of 2024.)<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Clint Fontenot<\/strong>, \u00a041,\u00a0 of Arkadelphia, \u00a0Arkansas,\u00a0 was on July 3,\u00a0 2024 killed by own XL Bully.<\/p>\n (See\u00a0Fourth of July 2024 death reports: 3 by dog, 1 by croc, & a famous bull<\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> Jeane Bennett.<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Reuben Pierce<\/strong>, \u00a070,\u00a0 of Jacksonville, Arkansas,\u00a0 was mauled by pit bulls on October 30, 2023.\u00a0 He died from his injuries on January 24,\u00a0 2024,<\/p>\n (See\u00a0Pit bulls kill two men miles from home, one in home, & one in front yard.)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Jeane Bennett<\/strong>,\u00a0 93,\u00a0 of Blytheville,\u00a0 Arkansas,\u00a0 was attacked by three free-roaming pit bulls on June 3, \u00a02023.\u00a0 She died from her injuries on August 16, 2023, Neighbor David Veasey<\/strong>,\u00a0 43,\u00a0 was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault,\u00a0 two counts of unlawful dog attack,\u00a0 and various violations of city ordinance.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n (See\u00a0Pit bull death of 93-year-old woman ends streak of 4 killings of adult men<\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>James Woodrow McCool,\u00a0 <\/strong>39,\u00a0 of Star City,\u00a0 Arkansas,\u00a0 was allegedly pulled out of his wheelchair by multiple pit bulls on October 29,\u00a0 2023.\u00a0 Cousin Scott Alan McCool,\u00a0 48,\u00a0 owner of Copperhead Kennels,\u00a0 was on January 18,\u00a0 2024 charged with manslaughter.<\/p>\n <\/a> Brenda Lynn Witt.<\/strong><\/em> Brenda Witt<\/strong>, 60,\u00a0 of Genoa,\u00a0 Arkansas,\u00a0 was killed by five free-roaming pit bulls on September 24,\u00a0 2023,<\/p>\n (See\u00a0Pit bulls kill 2 women, 2 days apart. Small town cares; does Toledo?)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Sam Sullivan<\/strong>, 57,\u00a0 of West Memphis, Arkansas,\u00a0 died on November 21,\u00a0 2022,\u00a0 after having been attacked by a pit bull on November 8,\u00a0 2022.)<\/p>\n Unidentified child <\/strong>was killed on November 3,\u00a0 2022 in Nob Hill,\u00a0 Springdale,\u00a0 Arkansas. \u00a0The dog involved was identified by neighbors as an \u201coutside\u201d pit bull.<\/p>\n [See<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Tyson executive bust upstages three dog attack fatalities in a week<\/strong><\/a>.]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Patti Webb, \u00a0<\/strong>65,\u00a0 of Avoca,\u00a0 Arkansas,\u00a0 a pit bull rescuer , was killed on September 24,\u00a0 2021 by two pit bulls kept by a renter on her property.<\/p>\n <\/a> Robbie Taylor<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Roger James Kirk, <\/strong>69, Horatio, AR, attacked 3-19-2020, died 3-26-2020 of injuries.<\/p>\n (See\u00a0Pit bull attack deaths only slightly slowed by COVID-19 stay-home orders<\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Robbie Taylor, <\/strong>9,\u00a0 of Mount Vernon, Arkansas, was killed on May 28,\u00a0 2020 by two pit bulls belonging to neighbor Trey Edgar Wyatt, 25, who was criminally charged.<\/p>\nArkansas ranks 33rd in population but fourth in people killed by pit bulls<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
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(Best Friends Animal Society photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n\u201cNo kill\u201d of whom?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nLogical response would be to sterilize pit bulls<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nRepealing breed-specific legislation is not even saving dogs\u2019 lives<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nJohn Seales Animal Services Center refuses dangerous dogs<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\u201cWe won\u2019t take animals just to euthanize them\u201d<\/h2>\n
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(GoFundMe photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nThe human pit bull toll in Arkansas since 2017<\/h2>\n
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(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n