Marietta Balks at Proposal to Lift Pit Bull, Rottweiler Ban

Marietta Councilmember Cheryl Richardson's proposal to remove restrictions on pit bulls and Rottweilers in the city’s off-leash dog parks failed to advance in the council's Parks, Recreation and Tourism Committee this week for lack of support.

Currently, the city prohibits pit bulls and Rottweilers from all dog parks and off-leash areas.

Surrounding jurisdictions such as Kennesaw and Smyrna do not ban specific breeds but instead restrict park usage for any dogs showing aggressive behaviors.

In August, the committee unanimously voted to move Richardson's proposal to the Sept. 24 committee meeting, requesting a full list of revised restrictions and better documentation be presented.

Richardson owns two Rottweilers.

According to Rich Buss, Marietta parks and recreation director, the restrictions were put into place in 2007.

Last month, Buss told the committee that the city looked into best practices for off-leash dog parks when establishing the restrictions and saw both breeds regularly listed and banned, however, he shared Tuesday that this was not the case.

“I stand before you with my tail between my legs a little bit today, pun intended, not to be humorous but to be contrite,” Buss said, sharing that his recollection was incorrect and that the city was actually one of the first to put the restriction in place.

As requested, Buss brought the committee documentation on what surrounding jurisdictions were doing at their off-leash dog parks.

“Of all the 20-some they looked at, the only place that had a specific restriction on certain breeds was the city of Clarkston,” Buss said.

Councilmember Grif Chalfant, who serves on the committee, believed the current language should be broadened to include other aggressive dog breeds, like the Cane Corso, rather than deleted.

“If you look at the aggressive breeds, they also list dachshunds, American bulldogs, Dalmatians, Chihuahuas,” Richardson said.

Richardson argued that whether or not a dog should be allowed had more to do with its owner than its breed.

Buss agreed, sharing that the few issues the city’s dog parks have had were related to ownership and lack of proper training and socialization, rather than genetic makeup.

“Nine percent of a dog's disposition is genetic, the rest has to do with how it’s raised,” Buss said, referencing a 2022 genome study published in “Science.”

Buss also shared the difficulties in policing the ban since so many dogs are mixed breeds, especially with pit bulls.

Councilmember Andre Sims, who serves as vice chair of the committee, suggested making the language consistent with Cobb County, which restricts vicious, dangerous or aggressive dogs, not a certain breed.

According to Richardson, a dog is considered aggressive if it has ever bitten or attempted to bite a person or animal.

“You don’t know sometimes until you get there,” Richardson said.

Several council members expressed concern about waiting until an attack to determine a dog’s aggressiveness.

“We’re going to let somebody get bit, their dog killed or their child bit by a very powerful jaw, and then we throw them out,” said Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin. “I think (the current ordinance) is proactive.”

Richardson referenced Georgia’s Responsible Owner Act, which aims to protect people and other animals from dogs that have previously displayed violent or threatening behavior. She said the responsibility should be on the owner to know whether their dog has any aggressive tendencies.

Sims motioned to revise the ordinance by removing the breed ban and restricting dogs in heat. The motion failed after it did not receive a second.