Posted: February 5, 2009, 5 a.m. EST
A request for an appeal made by the city of Reading, Pa., to keep an ordinance that set restrictions on aggressive dog breeds was recently denied by the state Supreme Court.
The 10-year-old measure was thrown out in a February 2008 ruling that stated it violated state law. Dogs deemed to be aggressive or dangerous – usually those involved in a dog bite incident – were targeted in the measure, which required that these animals be muzzled and kept on leashes shorter than three feet.
In addition, violators were fined up to $1,000 or ordered to serve 30 days in jail. Under the law, owners also had to get a $500 permit to keep an unsterilized dog of the breed.
Because there is no opportunity to revisit the issue, the ordinance has been rendered obsolete.