Denver Voters Overturn Ban on Pit Bulls as Pets

Owning a pit bull in Denver requires a permit.
Owning a pit bull will require a permit.Getty

The 31-year-old ban barred Denver residents from having pit bulls.

Denver voters overwhelmingly overturned a 31-year-old ban on pit bulls in the city. The ballot measure passed with nearly 65% of the vote.

The city will grant permits to breed owners as long as they microchip their pet and comply with requirements set by the Denver Animal Protection department.

The Denver City Council voted 7-4 to repeal the ban in February, but Mayor Hancock vetoed the measure days later, saying it did not "fully addresses the very real risk to severe injury that can result from attacks from these particular dog breeds, especially should they happen to a child."

The ban was enacted in 1989 after a series of pit bull attacks in the area.

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