Williston Citizens To Decide On Fate Of Pit Bull Ban

A special election seeking to repeal a long standing ordinance banning on pit bulls will be put before voters in Williston.

Jyl Alberston, an elementary school teacher, organized the petition drive and collected the required number of signatures to qualify it for the ballot. The law, according to her, is ineffective and out-of-date, and the breed is not unique from other dog breeds.

After she was cited for having her pit bull in her car, Albertson got involved. She claimed that she had never before run into difficulties. It was a Class B misdemeanor, and all of a sudden I was on a year of probation, said Albertson. Gunner, her 10-year-old dog, was sent to live with her son in Georgia and she had to move him..

In talking with our friends at KFGO, Mayor Howard Klug said there’s a lot of emotion on both sides of the issue. He said people love their dogs but he said there are residents, including city commissioners, who want to keep the pit bull ban in place.

“The special election will let people have their say, whether it’s a yay or a nay, and if the people who want pit bulls in town are successful, the city will follow that decision,” said Klug. He added that if the ban is repealed, he will be very careful when he goes outside with his dog.

The city has 90 days to set the special election.

Last September, the Minot City Council repealed a city ordinance that banned pit bulls.