After Deadly Attack, Local Leader Wants Pit Bulls Banned

Three days after police said Pit Bull fatally mauled 5-year-old Makayla Woodard, and sent her great grandmother to an area hospital, one Union County commissioner wants to see the breed banned.

But state law prohibits any county from banning a specific breed. Still, Union County Commissioner Jon Thomas said he plans to research what they can do to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.

Thomas told WSOC over the phone, "you take away the risk, you take away the problem."

But because he can't ban the breed he wants to find a compromise. Right now, he is not sure what that will be.

Waxhaw police said Makayla Woodard was in her neighbor's backyard on Rehobeth Road in Waxhaw when the dogs attacked. Her grandmother was badly hurt while trying to save the young girl. Officers eventually shot and killed both dogs.

Thomas said Pit Bulls are simply an aggressive breed. But Mike Davis, president of the National American Pit Bull Terrier Association, says otherwise.

He and his organization work with cities considering breed bans and encourage them to implement a dangerous dog law instead.

Davis said they worked with city councils in more than 10 cities in Michigan who were considering a ban.

He said the bottom line is that having a Pit Bull or any dog comes down to responsibility.

"Responsible ownership is the key in all of this. Training, education and ownership. It's a privilege, not a right, and I keep repeating that to everybody. Nobody says we get the right to own a dog, it's a privilege and you should be responsible for it, just like we are our kids," Davis said.

Davis said a dangerous dog law would allow a panel to decide each incident on a case-by-case basis.

Both Davis and Thomas agree leash laws don't work.

Waxhaw Town Manager, Michael McLaurin, told WSOC in an e-mail Saturday, they will have an animal control officer in place and trained in the next few months.