By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - Officials here wanted to put some more teeth into Covington's animal control law.

But an effort to crack down on owners of vicious dogs has had one unintended consequence - crowding at the local animal shelter.

Since Covington City Commission approved tougher restrictions this week for pit bulls and other dogs the city considers vicious, the Kenton County Animal Shelter has seen its pit bull population soar.

"During the past two days, Covington animal control officers have brought in nine pit bulls," Aline Summe, director of the Kenton County Animal Shelter, said Friday.

"Instead of complying with the new law, I think people are just letting them loose," she said. "We've been getting a lot of phone calls from people in Covington wanting to know what's going on with the ordinance on vicious dogs."

Under the law that takes effect Tuesday, owners can keep the animals, but they now have to inject an identification microchip. They also can reduce the annual license fee if they spay or neuter the dog.

Past regulations also require owners to carry $100,000 liability insurance for injuries or damage caused by the animal, pay a yearly $30 registration fee, and keep the dog on a leash and muzzle when the animal is outside of its kennel, pen or the owner's home.

Violation is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $250 fine and up to 90 days in jail for the first offense and up to a $500 fine and a year in jail for each subsequent offense.

The influx of pit bulls has prompted county animal shelter workers to scramble for cages, Summe said.

"It got a little tight because we had to put the pit bulls in separate cages," Summe said. "We have other dogs doubled up in six or seven cages."

Summe said she expects the influx of pit bulls to continue for about a week before tapering off.

"I don't expect this to go on for much longer," she said. "I think this is more people who don't want their pets because of the new law."

"I'd rather have (the pit bulls) in the shelter," said Covington City Solicitor Jay Fossett. "Those people that are letting the dogs go shouldn't have them anyway."

Covington Mayor Butch Callery agreed that the increase in pit bull strays is likely a temporary situation.

"This is a dog with a propensity to bite," Callery said. "One of our concerns was that people were breeding them for fighting purposes, and drug dealers were using them to intimidate people."

Covington resident Lisa Marshall said she's giving her pit bull to a friend who has a Kenton County farm, partly because of Covington's animal control law. She said her pit bull used to be covered under her mother's homeowner's insurance, but she recently moved to her own place and can't afford the insurance.

"Some pit bulls get a bad rap, big time," Marshall said. "Mine doesn't even bite, and she's 4 years old."

Cincinnati is considering reinstating a pit bull ban revoked in 1999 after pit bulls recently attacked several residents.

"Cincinnati went to that policy of having a microchip and a tattoo and registration," said Cincinnati Councilman Pat DeWine. "The reality is that it's been incredibly ineffective. Only five people have registered, and of those, only two met the city's requirements."

DeWine said there appears to be a consensus on Cincinnati City Council to reinstate the ban after a public hearing Monday.

"There's tremendous support in our neighborhoods for (banning pit bulls)," DeWine said. "We've had a number of attacks in the last couple of weeks."

The village of Mariemont is considering a tougher law for pit bulls and other vicious dogs after a pit bull got loose in April and seriously injured another dog in an attack. Under the proposed law, owners of pit bulls would have to obtain $300,000 liability insurance and keep pit bulls in a locked pen and leashed and muzzled when off an owner's property.

Callery said Covington officials don't want to penalize responsible pet owners by banning pit bulls.

"A couple of years ago, we had a young lady and her daughter on Madison (Avenue) who raised a pit bull from a puppy," he said. "It was really a nice dog, and they kept it fenced in. We figure, why penalize those folks? Let's get the ones that are breeding them for profit for dog fighting and drug trafficking."

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com