Merryville enforcing pit bull ban that’s been on the books for more than a decade

Merryville, LA (KPLC) - More than a dozen residents in Merryville were given notice that if they had a pit bull, they needed to move it out of city limits within 48 hours.

The letter, printed on the police department’s letterhead, is dated Dec. 6, and is signed “Town of Merryville, City Hall.”

The letter reads:

“To Whom it May Concern:

We are writing to let you know the town of Merryville will be enforcing the Pit Bull Ordinance. You have been identified as having a Pit Bull/s in your possession and will need to have these animals rehomed and removed from the city Limits of Merryville. There is a 48 hour time frame to have these animals moved. We have provided a copy of Pitt Bull Ordinance 21.22 for you to review. If you have any questions or concerns please call City Hall at 337-825-8740.

Thank you for your cooperation.”

We spoke to Chief Tommy Robberson who said he’s enforcing an ordinance that has been in place for more than a decade.

He says after he was elected, a resident approached him, asking why she had to get rid of her pit bull - following an incident with other dogs - when others could keep their pit bulls.

Robberson says he told the resident if she wanted to get the ordinance changed, she needed to go before the council, which she did.

The council had the discussion item on the last agenda, but they instead decided to table it until the meeting this month.

In the meantime, after consulting with the mayor, the chief says it was decided his department needed to enforce the current ordinance, which does ban certain dogs. He said they passed out flyers to 17 different homes, and in some cases, the homeowners have already come to the police station to prove they were not in violation or owned a different breed of dog. The letters were sent out based on previous complaints to the police department.

If residents do not remove their dogs within 48 hours, they could face a $250 fine and could have their animal impounded.

The chief also says if the council does decide to change the ordinance when they meet again, those who have removed the dogs can of course bring them back.