1912: ‘Pit’ Bulldog Muzzle Ordinance, North Platte, NE

Ordinance No. 24
The North Platte Semi-Weekly Tribune
November 12, 1912
Library of Congress

Ordinance No. 24
An ordinance requiring all persons who own, harbor, keep or control bull dogs to muzzle said bull dogs while running at large within the corporate limits of the city of North Platte, Nebraska, and providing a penalty for violating this ordinance.
Be it ordained by the mayor and city council of North Platte, Nebraska:
See. 1. It is hereby made the duty of every person owning, controlling, harboring or keeping any bull dog to keep such bull dog at all times, while permitted to run at large within the corporate limits of the city of North Platte, securely muzzled in such a manner that said bull dog cannot bite.
See. 2. Any person owning, controlling, harboring or keeping a bull dog and permitting the same to run at large within the corporate limits of the city of North Platte, Nebraska, without being muzzled, as provided in section 1 of this ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined any sum not exceeding $5.00 and be committed until such fine and costs of prosecution have been paid.
Sec. 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage, approval and publication according to law.
Passed and approved this 6th day of November, 1912.
H.C. Brock
Acting Mayor
Chas. F. Temple
City Clerk

The bulldog of the late 1800s and early 1900s is the same dog as today’s pit bull terrier. The only thing that has changed about this dog breed in the last century are the different names it goes by: bulldog, pit dog, bull pit, bull terrier — pit bull terrier. Modern dogfighters still call their fighting pit bulls “100% bulldog.” (See: Disguise breed name)
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