American Notes NEW YORK CITY

If New York City's health commissioner has his way, there will soon be a mug shot on file of every American pit bullterrier in the Big Apple. Hoping to rid New York of a canine breed favored by dope dealers because of its alleged propensity to clamp its powerful jaws on humans, Commissioner Stephen Joseph has proposed to the city's board of health that pit bull owners be required to have their dogs tattooed, muzzled in public, insured for a minimum liability of $100,000 and, yes, photographed for city records. If Joseph's proposal becomes part of the city code, no new pit bulls will be allowed on New York streets after the existing ones die. But opposition to any restriction on a specific breed of dog is likely to be strong. "It's an unworkable, untenable, unconstitutional idea," says American Kennel Club spokesman Alan Stern.