On October 10, the Grosse Pointe Shores City Council held a special meeting to discuss Ordinance 279, commonly referred to as their pit bull ban. In a 4-3 vote, they amended the ordinance, replaced it with ordinance 280, and removed any reference to breed-specific language. Practically, this repealed the pit bull ban in Grosse Pointe Shores that was passed on September 19, 2023.


Ann Griffin, Michigan Humane Director of Advocacy and an attorney with a background in animal law provided public comment along with many others who shared our position on the ordinance. Breed-specific legislation is ineffective, as I laid out in my last blog post. This was the right decision. It is costly to municipalities, unenforceable based on difficulty in identifying and defining what a pit bull is, a distraction to local law enforcement, and a public relations nightmare given the value that Americans place on their pets.


I want to take a moment to recognize all of the members of the Grosse Pointe Shores City Council for their service to their community. These are volunteers, and I sincerely believe each and every one is serving their community authentically to the best of their ability. I applaud them for their intentions here – to create a safer Grosse Pointe Shores.

Our pets, and our own health and safety, elicit strong emotions in all of us. It is incumbent upon all of us who consider ourselves stewards of animal welfare, to put direction to our passion. For us to advance animal welfare in our communities, we need to be seen as thoughtful partners with valuable information and insight to share. To truly make change we need to work with, and not against, communities and their representatives.


Be involved. Be active. Be loud. But be sure your actions, thoughts, facts, and arguments are seen and heard. At the end of the day, everyone involved wanted a safer Grosse Pointe Shores – for both the people and pets of that community.

We are overjoyed to see this decision by the Grosse Pointe Shores City Council. Michigan Humane is committed to helping communities create safer, healthier environments. We are happy to partner with any community that is committed to a shared goal of celebrating inclusivity and diversity, healthier neighborhoods, and safer communities. Join us in making all our communities a more humane place to live. I invite you to join our Legal Action Network to be a part of our advocacy work.