At this point, if you live in Lakewood, you’ve heard of the I’m With Charlie movement. This pro-pit bull movement—in favor of Lakewood resident Jennifer Scott’s pit bull Charlie—has been gaining lots of support in the community, with many believing the rules against pit bulls are too strict. Recently, Mayor Summers proposed to get rid of the breed specific legislation (BSL), which bans any dog 50% pit bull or higher. Summers thinks it is time to reevaluate the law, saying, “When this ban was passed back in 2008, it was done with the idea of safety in mind. Since then, that’s what we’ve had in mind when enforcing this. However, the time has come for us to reevaluate.”

UPDATE:

The city council meeting was held January 2, and in an email to city council Mayor Summers repealed the pit bull ban that was established in Lakewood in 2008. The mayor added, “The breed ban effectively ends today because I do not see the merits of enforcing a feature we are likely to eliminate in the near future.” The decision was met with mixed at the city council meeting, with the two new members of the council, Meghan George and Tristan Rader, saying the sudden repeal of BSL “raised questions of trust,” while the president of the city council  Sam O’Leary and councilmen Dan O’Malley agree with mayor Summers decision.

Concerned citizens should not worry though, with the mayor adding that this is just a “starting place,” planning on passing some regulation on more aggressive breeds of dogs, such as enforcing a muzzle rule in public places. All that is for sure is that the I’m with Charlie movement was a spark that ignited a discussion of the bigger issue of BSL.