NewsCovering Colorado

Actions

'Ruh Roh': Gov. Jared Polis throws shade on Mayor Michael Hancock's veto of pit bull ban repeal

Posted at 1:15 PM, Feb 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-17 15:15:13-05

DENVER — The governor of Colorado appeared to be sending a message to the mayor of Denver in a Twitter exchange between the two leaders that turned… well, different.

Jared Polis, sitting in the Governor’s Mansion in Denver, tweeted Sunday evening a photo of himself with a pit bull, writing, “Freda, a friend’s new pit bull rescue pup, joined us at the governors mansion in Denver tonight (shhhh).”

Screen Shot 2020-02-16 at 10.49.25 PM.png

Without context, the tweet packs little bite. But Polis’ tweet comes after Mayor Michael Hancock said Friday that he would veto a Denver City Council measure that would have repealed a long-standing ban on pit bulls in the city, which paints Polis’ tweet somewhat in a cheeky tone.

But then things got a little weird.

Hancock posted a one-word reply to Polis’ tweet with a simple, “Wow!!” And the governor followed up with a GIF of Scooby-Doo saying “Ruh Roh.”

Screen Shot 2020-02-16 at 10.51.03 PM.png

Polis’ tweet received mostly positive reactions from other users, praising the governor for his pro pit bull stand he took. But others felt it set a bad example, one user writing, "Bad form, Governor!"

Denver City Council voted Monday night to repeal the more than 30-year ban on the breed. But in a letter to city council members explaining his decision, Mayor Hancock wrote, in part, “The reality is that irresponsible pet owners continue to be a problem, and it is the irresponsible owners and their dogs I must consider in evaluating the overall impact of this ordinance.”