Council recently discussed amending the animal ordinance pertaining to pit bull dogs - to either ban them or require registration and proof of insurance.

"At council, discussion led to the idea that registration doesn't really protect the residents," said city attorney Chris Mehling . "So we agreed on a proposal to ban them."

A town meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, at the Ludlow Senior Center, 808 Elm St., for anyone with concerns about the ordinance, according to council member Karen Herringhaus.

City council will hold the second reading of an ordinance that proposes banning the breed at 7 p.m. Oct. 14.

While there has not been a rash of incidents with the dogs, there have been some complaints, said Mehling.

Councilman Bill Froehle also said he had a confrontation with a couple of strange dogs at his home.

"One morning I went out to leave for work, and a pit bull and two large dogs were loose about 10 feet from my van," he said.

Froehle said the dogs were growling and looked ready to attack. "I froze," he said. "Luckily a car came by and spooked them off."

Council member Gary Rolfsen said it was time to address the issue before someone gets hurt.

"The last thing we want to do is take away a pet from a family," he said. "But we have to weigh that with the characteristics of the species of dog. My personal preference is that maybe having those dogs in the city limits is not the best idea."

Council has been exploring two options: to outlaw the breed in the city, as is the law in Erlanger and Elsmere; or to require registration and proof of insurance for the dog.

Rolfsen said they are still looking at options and want to get opinions from residents.

Froehle said he has nothing against pit bulls.

"Any dog could be vicious if it's not properly cared for," he said. "Still, we should hold owners accountable before something tragic happens. I could probably get away, but maybe a child or an elderly person - which we have a lot of in the city - won't be as lucky."

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