Don't Ban Petey!

Why BSL is Wrong

 

Let me first begin by quickly explaining what (BSL) breed-specific legislation is. It is a type of law that focuses on restricting or even eliminating certain breeds of dogs. The most controversial type of BSL completely bans all dogs within a certain breed. This means that all dogs that fall within the legal definition of the ban must be removed from the area or face being euthanized. Other types of less drastic BSL might include: banning new dogs of the breed from coming into the area, placing heavy restrictions and financial burdens on owners of a breed, requiring breeds to be mandatory spayed and neutered, requiring breeds to be muzzled in public, and so on and so on…Below are ten reason why BSL is wrong:

• Breeds and mixes are difficult to identify and dogs are often mislabeled and destroyed based solely paranoia and prejudice. This punishes those who are responsible dog owners. Many breeds take on roles besides that of pets but this is usually overlooked. Breeds that include the pit bull have worked as assistance dogs for the handicapped, search and rescue, drug enforcement, and police dogs.
• Dog problems are generally problems with owner responsibility and are not limited to breeds. When breeds are singled out as dangerous or vicious, responsibility is removed from the owner, which is where it belongs. Irresponsible people are also less likely to follow the law and as a result everyone has to suffer.
• By limiting the ability of citizens to own certain breeds, responsible law abiding citizens will shy away from those breeds. These are the types of owners that communities need to encourage, not drive away.
• Communities that have instituted such bans often find that the irresponsible owners simply switch to another breed.
• The dog most restricted is the “pit bull.” A pit bull is a type of dog, not a recognized breed.
• BSL is a financial burden to the taxpayers of the community. The costs for running a BSL program in a large city can possibly run several hundred thousand dollars a year.
• BSL has been ruled as unconstitutional in numerous courts across the U.S. The costs for defending BSL are placed on the taxpayers of the community.
• BSL gives citizens a false sense of security. Numerous communities across American and around the world have discontinued BSL because of its ineffectiveness.
• BSL gives unsavory politicians a platform to gain popularity in their community and thus further their career.
• BSL is just wrong. Organization against BSL include: the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, the American Veterinary Medical Association, ASPCA, and the Humane Society of the United States.

When BSL came to our community we decided to do something about it. This is our story.