AURORA, Colo. -- The City Council in Aurora voted Monday night to pass a controversial plan to ban pit bulls but the ban won't become official until they take a second vote later this month.

The ban on the breed forces current pit bull owners to pay between $200 and $600 in licensing fees in order to keep their dogs in the city, but would not allow new pit bulls to move into the city.

Current pit bull owners would have 60 days to register their animals and get at least $100,000 in liability insurance.

Dogs will also have to be spayed or neutered and they would have to be muzzled and either kept on a short leash or in a crate when in public. Owners would also have to have an identification microchip implanted in the dogs and post a warning that a dangerous dog lives in their house.

Owners say the proposal is a transparent plot to push them out of the city because the restrictions are so tough. Opponents say only two insurance companies offer policies that would cover the dogs, and it's nearly impossible for renters to get coverage.

Denver and Commerce City have already adopted similar bans, and Aurora City Councilwoman Nadine Caldwell said she's concerned that without a ban, Aurora could become a dumping ground for pit bulls.

The city council said it will reevaluate the new ordinance in two years and look at the number of registered pit bulls involved in attacks and compare it with other breeds.