Rhiannon and Casey Embree just want to buy a house. Seems like a simple thing. The housing market is soft, so it's a great time to buy.
The Embree's found a a home they loved on Sibley Street in Buckner, MO. However, it turns out that the entire Embree family is not welcome in Buckner because the Embree's own 'pit bulls".
Buckner passed a ban in 2000-- after apparently a 'pit bull' chased a child and attacked his tricycle. The child was unharmed. The family was concerned and after some debate, the small town passed a ban on pit bulls.
Instead of sneaking into the community with their dogs, the Embrees approached the city council about repealing their ban for their dogs. They have said that their dogs are not dangerous. They plan to have a six foot tall privacy fence for their yard and an enclosed kennel. They say they keep the dogs indoors when they are not at home. But as for now, the council still seems to be against letting the Embrees, and their dogs, move to Buckner.
Alderman Jimmie Jones said: "There's been too many people come to this board over the years....and I'm not willing to make an exception at this time."
"What do we do with the next couple that comes along?" asked Dennis Gilmore.
The answer is easy. Repeal the ordinance and let the next people in to. And then if they're a problem, deal with them.
On citizen, Jim Affolter is concerned that dropping the ordinance could send a wrong message to pet owners who own vicious dogs. Affolter seems to be unaware that people with aggressive dogs still live in Buckner in spite of the ordinance.
Just a year ago, a Dogue Bordeaux dog that was owned by 39 year old Chris Ownbey attacked Steve and Kristi McBee in the street in Buckner. Ownbey was charged for the attack. The dog had previously attacked 67 year old Joyce Shelley in 2005...but was allowed to remain with the owner.
Buckner is having another city council meeting on Thursday night, September 4. You can show your support for the Embree's at that meeting. It certainly sounds like the
The reality is that Buckner's pit bull ban is doing nothing to protect the citizens of Buckner. All it is doing is keeping people -- people that seem like really nice people like the Embrees -- from being able to move to their town. This doesn't seem like America when people aren't allowed to move to a home that they love. It certainly doesn't feel like America that they are being penalized for a dog attacking a tricycle 8 years ago. It also is unfair to the current home owner to not be able to sell their property -- which is a tough burden in such a down economy.
Buckner is having another city council meeting to discuss the Embree's on Thursday night, September 4. You can show your support at the meeting that night -- or if you live in Buckner, by contacting your city council members and expressing your opinion on the matter.
"Pit bull" bans do affect dogs....but they often have an even greater affect on people. People who have nothing wrong...and yet are not welcome in many communities.
Best of luck to the Embrees in their quest of buying a new home.
When you think about it, with all the towns across the country, small and large implementing BSL to solve a so-called "problem", we can not travel freely. Any dog that remotely resembles a "pitbull" is subject to this idiocy, meaning the lab mix, the ACD mix, maybe that boxer, any dog. When will people wake up and realize their family pet can and will be taken away and killed because of what people "perceive" rather than on what is actually occurring.
Posted by: TEH | August 28, 2008 at 09:46 AM
TEH, I could rant for days about your comment.
I get so infuriated when all of these cities say they don't want to hear from "outsiders" when they talk about this type of law. Yet, they wouldn't hesitate to enforce it on me if I were traveling across country with my dogs and let them out in the wrong place for a potty break. My wife and I have transported dogs to several places to go to new homes -- and I specifically checked several stops along the way to be sure the dogs would be safe if we let them out for a bathroom break in these locations. So these laws DO affect me, whether I live in the city or not.
Meanwhile, I have no idea why the government overall hasn't done more to stop these types of laws because they really do disrupt interstate commerce....
All because the dog looks to a varying degree like something. I've always joked that I've met a lot of dogs in my lifetime. I've met a lot of dogs that I look at and am not sure whether or not it is a "pit bull". But I've never once met a dog that I was uncertain whether or not it was aggressive...
Posted by: Brent | August 28, 2008 at 09:53 AM
Somebody needs to start suing these jerkwater towns. Let's hope we get a few prominent smackdowns to use as precedents, and soon.
Don't you guys have a right to mobility, among other things?
Posted by: Caveat | August 28, 2008 at 05:56 PM
Why would you want to live in Buckner anyway?
Posted by: xTONYx | August 30, 2008 at 11:23 AM
we just love this house
Posted by: rhiannon embree | August 30, 2008 at 06:34 PM
Thanks so much whover posted our story on this website. Tonight is the big night for us and we appreciate all the support we have gotten from everyone and hope many can make it to the meeting tonight. Wish us luck and ill let you all know how it goes. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Casey and Rhiannon Embree
Posted by: rhiannon embree | September 04, 2008 at 05:42 PM
Well unfortunately we did not get the majority of the vote last night, but i'm sure we changed some minds and educated some people on this breed. I said this once and I'll say it again... it's a good thing buckner doesn't ban stupid people cause those alderman that voted against us would be banned for sure!
Posted by: rhiannon embree | September 05, 2008 at 04:32 PM
I know it has been years since this was posted, but just so you know. Our daughter was bit by dogs that looked like pit bulls, and the city made them have DNA testing to prove they were not pit bull terriers! goes to prove that any dog can be a threat. These people that own the non pit bull dogs, were not supposed to have any puppies from these dogs they had...per city order...well shows how much they kept an eye out on this family...they have puppies. And did they take the dogs? NO! why? because my daughter who was scared and running could not identify which one of the two dogs it was! this no pit bull ordinance is crap! NOT all pits are vicious...it depends on the owners treatment of the dogs...any DOG. buckner is so corrupt!
Posted by: AMJ | December 30, 2011 at 08:02 PM