Dog bite data
| Submitted | April 7, 2012 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Donna Bishop
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the state Freedom of Information Act, G.L.M. c.66, §10, I hereby request the following records from the inception of the City’s pit bull ordinance (CBC 16-1.9E) though 2011.
• The number of people who have registered and obtained special pit bull licenses;
• The number of people cited for having a "pit bull" without a muzzle while away from private property of the owner or keeper (and location such citations occurred);
• The number of people cited because they did not obtain the special pit bull license;
• The number of dogs determined to be pit bulls who were seized by animal control or the police;
• The number of dogs determined to be "pit bulls" who were surrendered to animal control;
• The number of dog bites recorded by the city for past 10 years and all information available relating to these bites, including, if available: date of incident, breed, age of dog , sex, spay/neuter status of dog, circumstances of bite (including whether dog leashed, chained, loose, etc.), age and sex of victim, what victim was doing before bit occurred, if known and whether the dog was licensed)
• The number of dogs designated as pit bulls who were euthanized by the city’s animal control department during this period (2004-2011), and dates of euthanasia
• Any additional data that would prove of disprove any impact of the ordinance, including, but not limited to reduction or increase in dog bites by "pit bulls" and other breeds.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest, as suggested but not stipulated by the recommendations of the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Donna Bishop
From: "Giannangelo, Mark" <Mark.Giannangelo@cityofboston.gov>
Hello,
All press/media questions must first be called into the City of Boston press office. 617-635-4461
I will be out of the office until Tuesday April 17th. You can reach me at 617-635-5348.
Mark
From: MuckRock.com
Hi John,
Thanks for your time on the phone. Here is the public records request.
From: "Giannangelo, Mark" <Mark.Giannangelo@cityofboston.gov>
Dear Ms. Bishop:
This email is in response to your Public Records request dated April 7, 2012 for various documents related to City’s Pit Bull Ordinance including, but not limited to: “the number of people who have registered and obtained special pit bull licenses.”
Please note that information regarding victims of dog bites will be withheld pursuant to the privacy exemption (c) of G.L. ch. 4, § 7(26)(c), which states that “personnel and medical files or information; also any other materials or data relating to a specifically named individual, the disclosure of which may constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” are exempt from disclosure.
We are in the process of identifying the requested materials and preparing a final cost estimate for the preparation of the documents in response to your request. Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, the formula we use for the search, segregation, review, and copying of each requested document is $0.20 per page for photocopies of public records, $0.50 per standard page computer printout, plus a per hour charge that is the pro-rated hourly wage of the lowest paid employee who is capable of performing the task.
An initial search has indicated that the labor cost is $476.80 to search through all of the old files and identify the data that you are seeking. This estimate does not include the cost of photocopies, which will be determined after the data is narrowed down. Please note that the actual cost of producing the documents may change as this is an estimate. The check may be made payable to the “City of Boston” and should be mailed to the address above. Upon receipt of your payment, we will send you the documents or alternatively, you may alter your request. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mark Giannangelo
From: Giannangelo, Mark
Hello Ms. Bishop,
I am working on your request. I am pulling as much information that is possible.
Mark
Mark J. Giannangelo
Director
City of Boston Animal Control
617-635-5348
From: Donna Bishop
Hi,
We spoke on the phone and you said you would try to provide an estimate based on a digital rather than printed copy response. Have you been able to develop that estimate yet?
Thanks.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on April 7, 2012. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thank you for your help.
From: Giannangelo, Mark
Hello,
The fee would be $126.00
Files
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