(SIOUX CITY, IA) - Sioux City's Pit Bull Ban came before the City Council again Monday. This time through a proposed "one-week pass" for owners who have not yet registered their Pit Bulls in line with the ordinance.

The ordinance states that pit bulls not registered by the original date could only be surrendered or taken outside city limits. Monday night the council amended it so that owners will have from April 20th to April 24th (Monday-Friday for one week) to license, register, and microchip dogs to get them in line with the ordinance.

The story of Lisa Martinez and her husband swayed Mayor Mike Hobart, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Rixner, and Councilman Dave Ferris to vote for the one-week pass. Martinez registered her pit bull last October, and thought it would last through October 2009. In fact, it expired at the end of 2008. By the time she went to renew the license, the ban had already gone into effect. 

Councilman Dave Ferris explained his vote, saying, "When you register your dog October November December and it expires December 31st, I believe that's an honest mistake that anyone could make, thinking their dog is licensed October to October, November to November. That is the only one out of this whole three month discussion that's caused me to go along with this."

Councilman Aaron Rochester, however, sees a slippery slope. "All the issues, concerns, misconceptions, confusion isn't going to go away just because they open it up to have people re-register for one week," he explains. He said he sees people asking for more exceptions in the future.

Mayor Pro Tem Rixner said in the meeting that this week-long allowance will put the issue to bed.

Owners can register, license, and microchip their dogs at Sioux City Animal Control from Monday, April 20th to Friday, April 24th. The ban will be in effect until Monday, and city leaders say unregistered pit bulls should stay outside city limits until the 20th.

You can visit Animal Control's web site at: www.siouxcityanimalcontrol.com.