Locally, Springville passed an ordinance in July 2005 that required all pit bull owners to register their dogs. The city also increased insurance requirements from $20,000 to $50,000 and stated that a pit bull had to be leashed and under the control of its owner whenever it left a fenced yard.

Instead of banning pit bulls or placing higher restrictions, some council members recommended an ordinance that would require muzzles on dogs larger than 40 pounds. Park said he doesn't think that would be effective when current ordinances aren't being enforced.

"Is it going to do you any good to have a muzzle law when you don't even enforce the leash law?" he asked.

But Johnson isn't ready to let sleeping dogs lie.

"I'm not prepared to say all is well," she said. "You might say our laws are sufficient, but it's not sufficient when a neighborhood feels like they can't walk the streets."

Johnson isn't necessarily saying Provo should adopt a complete pit bull ban, like Denver did in 1989. But she thinks more can be done to keep people safe.

The City Council decided to explore the issue further and study what other cities so they understand all their possible options. They readdress the issue at their next meeting on April 8, Johnson said. They don't plan on making any "knee-jerk" decisions, she said.

"I'm just trying to be rational about this," she said. "I'm not making laws for the sake of making laws."

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E-mail: jdana@desnews.com