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It is the responsibility of
every dog owner to educate people about their chosen breed.
Currently the focus of media hype and misinformation is the
Pit Bull, but in reviewing BSL laws there are many breeds
affected and more will be targeted without proper education.
Every 10 years or so there is a new "bad" breed. In the 70's
it was the Doberman, in the 90's it was Rottweilers, and now
it is the Pit Bull. Which breed is next? It could be any
powerful breed.
BSL is a quick reaction to an incident
without education or knowledge. People often overreact when
a dog attacks without knowing all of the details surrounding
the incident. There is always a reason for the attack, and
often it is a result of a child being left unsupervised with
a dog. Children and dogs should always be supervised, no
matter what breed of dog is involved! Many attacks are
purported to be by Pit Bulls, but there is no way to
genetically tell if a dog is truly a Pit Bull or not, and
the media tends to label any dog who attacks a human as a
"Pit Bull" (even if the dog is obviously a Dalmatian, Lab,
etc.). It is important to recognize that "Pit Bull" is not
truly a breed, its a term used to categorize 3 legitimate
breeds of dogs, American Staffordshire Terrier,
Staffordshire Terrier, and the American Pit Bull Terrier.
There are at least 11 breeds that have the looks of a "Pit
Bull," which are not in any way related the bully breeds.
Follow this link to try and identify the Pit Bull
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
The biggest area in which the
public needs to be educated is regarding Canine Aggression.
There are many types of canine aggression, and it is most
important to remember that Animal Aggression and Human
Aggression are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT things! Just because
an dog is animal aggressive does NOT mean that dog is or
will be human aggressive! Pit Bulls were bred to be dog
aggressive (though many of them are not), but they are not
inherently human aggressive. A Pit Bull is ONLY human
aggressive it is inbred, abused, neglected, trained
specifically to attack humans, or a combination of any of
these factors.
Education is critical and
before passing local ordinances and state laws, our city and
state officials have a responsibility to become educated on
the subject matter and seek out responsible opinions from
experts. You can educate your elected officials by
contacting them and respectfully informing them of the truth
about pit bulls. To determine who your State Representative
is in Ohio, please click this link
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/SearchbyDistrict.jsp
House Bill 79 (Ohio)
In Ohio, if
House Bill
79 passes,
BSL (Breed Specific Legislation that contributes to
the senseless death of thousands of pit bulls every year in
Ohio just because of their breed) will be eradicated.
Contact your State Representative to let him/her know you
support H.B. 79. Stand up for the voiceless, the pit bulls
who offer unconditional love and who are under threat of
genocide just because they were born pit bulls.
Breed-specific ordinances are short-sighted & ineffective
because ...
1. Dog
control problems are people problems and are not limited to
a breed or mix. Singling out breeds of dogs as vicious or
banning them outright merely shifts the responsibility from
the dog owner (where it belongs) to the breed of dog and
does not solve community dog problems.
2.
Banning a breed or declaring it inherently vicious punishes
those responsible dog owners who are the type of citizen
that communities need to keep, not drive away.
3.
Communities that have instituted such bans often find that
the irresponsible owners and the criminals who use dogs for
illegal purposes simply switch to another breed. For
example, in Ohio the criminals who were using Pit Bulls for
dog fighting and other illegal purposes are now switching to
Wolf Hybrids.
4.
Banning a breed or particular mix of breeds punishes those
dogs that are reliable community citizens, therapy dogs,
assistance dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue
dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, police dogs, etc. and drives them
out of the community. Some individual dogs have been
corrupted by some ignorant breeders and owners, but the
breeds themselves have a long and honorable history of
serving man. To label all as vicious for the actions of a
few ignores this history and the benefits of owning these
dogs.
5.
Breeds and mixes are often difficult to identify. The
American Veterinary Medical Association and several state
veterinary medical associations are on record as opposing
breed-specific legislation for just this reason.
6.
Passage of laws that are only enforced on complaint cause
two problems: they create disrespect for the law if the
authorities require compliance only upon complaint, and they
provide ammunition for neighborhood feuds.
Some
reasonable alternatives to breed bans are:
1.
Vigorously enforce dangerous dog laws. Untrained and
unsupervised dogs of any breed or mix can cause community
problems. Those who allow dogs to run loose or to menace the
neighbors should be dealt with according to a tough at-large
or dangerous dog law. Anyone who deliberately trains a dog
to menace others or who uses a dog in commission of a crime
should be charged with an additional offense.
2. Host
education sessions for responsible dog ownership that
includes safety information about dealing with dogs. Ohio
Valley Dog Owners Inc. and area dog clubs can provide the
expertise for these sessions.
3. Teach
the children of the community about responsible dog
ownership and care. The American Kennel Club has a free
education program on dog care for elementary schools. It
includes a video tape, teachers guide, and worksheets and
can be supplemented with demonstrations of obedience
training, grooming, and talks on veterinary care by local
training clubs or veterinarians.
State
of Ohio Breed-Specific Legislation:
Click
here to
view the state of Ohio laws regarding Pit Bulls.
Pit
Bull Breed-Specific Legislation and Pit Bull Bans in Ohio
Communities:
Click
here to
view the local BSL and pit bull bans in the state of Ohio laws.
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Breed Specific Bans:
A group of laws that
bans particular breeds, usually pit bulls (a type of dog, not
a breed) and sometimes Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Akitas,
Dobermans, Chow Chows, and a few others. These laws are
usually passed after several attacks by a particular breed so
that city councils can assure citizens they are “doing
something” about a voter concern
But breed bans don't
work. They target all dogs of a breed -- the innocent as well
as the guilty; are difficult to enforce; and do not end the
use of guardian dogs by criminals. If pit bulls in their
various incarnations are banned, drug dealers and other felons
switch to another breed or mix. In the meantime, the
ill-tempered terrier mix that bites the hand that feeds it and
the poorly-bred purebred that attacks the neighborhood
children pose a far greater danger to people than the
obedience-trained American Staffordshire Terrier that is a
registered therapy dog but cannot step foot inside the city.
Far better than
breed-specific bans are strict laws to control aggressive dogs
of any breed or mix. Known as generic vicious dog laws, they
put restrictions on the ownership of dogs that pose a danger
to people, restrictions such as confinement in locked,
escape-proof kennels while outdoors on the owner's property;
muzzles when the dog is off the property; and purchase of a
liability insurance policy.
Source:
Dogs and The
Law <http://www.canismajor.com/dog/laws1.html>
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
"HSUS Statement on Dangerous Dogs and Breed-Specific
Legislation
The HSUS opposes legislation aimed
at eradicating or strictly regulating dogs based solely on
their breed for a number of reasons. Breed Specific
Legislation (BSL) is a common first approach that many
communities take. Thankfully, once research is conducted most
community leaders correctly realize that BSL won't solve the
problems they face with dangerous dogs..."
Read entire text here.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(ASPCA)
The ASPCA does not have a formal position statement on BSL.
However, they work actively against it, while supporting
stronger non-breed-specific dangerous dog laws. They encourage
their members to vote against BSL. They provide information on
alternatives to BSL on their site in the article
"Are Breed-Specific Laws Effective?" (.pdf)
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