LOWELL — Since the City Council passed a pit-bull muzzle law Tuesday night, some owners in the city have scrambled to find out how their dogs can meet the ordinance’s exemption provisions.

The law stipulates that all pit bulls must be muzzled when off their owners’ properties unless the dog completes a training program from a facility or instructor possessing a nationally accredited certification in dog training.

The ordinance also exempts service dogs and dogs adopted by the Lowell Humane Society that go through its “comprehensive behavior and temperament evaluation.”

Many pit-bull owners have called the Lowell Humane Society this week asking if their dogs could take part in its behavior and temperament-evaluation program, but Executive Director Jill O’Connell said the agency only evaluates adopted dogs in order to place them in the community.

Despite language that was included in an earlier version of the muzzle ordinance, the Lowell Humane Society does not offer training programs.

O’Connell said she recommends that all pit-bull owners who want to gain an exemption from the muzzle law should search for dog trainers in the area who have Certified Pet Dog Trainer, or CPDT, certificates. Many will have CPDT as a title after their names to indicate they are licensed dog trainers.

She said the Noble Family Animal Care and Adoption Center at the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen offers a dog-training program and has the proper national accreditation.

Crazy Canines in Tewksbury, All Breeds in Pelham and PetSmart in Chelmsford are other options for pit-bull owners who want to get training for their dogs, she said, adding that many independent dog trainers also have CPDT certificates.

O’Connell said most training programs require once-a-week sessions for 8-12 weeks. Dog owners who want to put their dogs through training by the time Lowell’s muzzle law goes into effect July 1 will have a difficult doing so.
“It puts people in a tough position who are trying to do the right thing,” O’Connell said.

Debra Barrett-Ojeda, a Market Street resident, said she wants her 19-month-old pit bull, Grace, to be exempted from the muzzle law, but she is worried she won’t be able to afford a training program.

“Many people are in financial crisis right now,” she said.

O’Connell said she will meet with MSPCA officials soon to discuss possible discounts for city residents who want to put their dogs through training programs.

She also said all owners of dogs from the Lowell Humane Society are asked to wear LHS tags. The tags are microchipped, which should help prevent people from sharing or creating fake tags.