Leave the pit bulls alone.
That's the message from the state senate after it voted to stop local governments from banning certain breeds of dogs.
FOX 47's Cryss Walker reports, most people are on board with the move.
“You should be able to have any kind of dog you want without fear of repercussion from the government”, said Lansing resident Stephanie Bryant.
“They don’t feed it.”
Some say certain types of dogs can pose a danger.
Tyler Bailey recalls an incident when his brother was attacked by a pit bull.
“He was just playing around the neighborhood and I think it just got out of its cage or something and then it started running towards us”, said Bailey.
“He kind of showed he was scared a little bit and I think the pit bull recognized that and got aggressive with him.”
Some say dogs known as aggressive breeds like pit bulls and Rottweilers are not as bad as they seem.
“The pits get a bad rep”, said East Lansing dog owner Phil Brooks.
Thursday a senate committee group voted on a bill that would block local governments from dog breed ordinances.
This bill would give people the freedom to own any type of dog in any community.
“I think people should be able to own what kind of dog they want and be responsible for the ownership”, said Juliet Degain who goes to school in East Lansing.
“And if they were to attack someone, no matter what breed it is, they should take accountability for it.”
Opponents of the bill say that aggressive dogs like pit bulls are the greatest culprit behind fatal dog bites.
Right now there are 30 local communities with breed specific ordinances.
The bill is now headed to the house.
We'll let you know how they vote.
