On the Legislative Front

For more information on this little guy, contact Donna Velez of Hearts of Gold Pit Bull Rescue by email at heartsofgoldpitrescue@yahoo.com

On June 6, 2011, the City of Cleveland Ohio repealed long-standing breed specific ordinances in favor of ordinances targeting all irresponsible dog owners.

Following on the heels of this historic change in attitude, June 15, 2011 the Criminal Justice Committee convened in the capital city of Columbus, Ohio to begin the first hearings to repeal the only statewide ban of Pit Bulls in this country, a ban that has stood for 24 years.

The criminal justice committee voted 10-2 in favor of HB14. The bill has been sent into full chamber where it is expected to see a vote before the end of the Ohio session later this month.

This may not seem like an important event to the average person or even the average dog owner. What makes this monumental is the fact that a state that has allowed hysteria and hype to dictate policy, is finally realizing holding a dog responsible for the actions of humans is not solving the problems associated with crime in their streets.

Ohio HB14 uses language including "the owner", "owner's control", "owner's property". Ultimately, the bottom line of any legislation or ordinance, regulating animals, must address the responsibility of the OWNER. No animal is capable of reasoning. Animals are only capable of instinctual or learned behavior. They learn their behavior from their environment, which is directly or indirectly created for them by humans. This is reality and no amount of misdirection will change that fact. BSL does nothing to address the human element. That is a fact!

Internationally the United Kingdom has presented legislation that would repeal the Dangerous Dog Act of 1991. The DDA has been under fire around the world because of the high profile destruction of more than one dog merely suspected of being one of the four targeted breeds. Again, hysteria is being thwarted in favor of fact.

Cumberland British Columbia was the final city in this Canadian province to repeal their breed ban. While time was being wasted by animal control officers on search and destroy missions, the problem owners were allowing their "acceptable" breeds to terrorize the citizenry. No more, if you are allowing your dog to cause a problem, you will be held responsible.

Closer to home we have the State of Tennessee. While they may not have a statewide ban in place, the number of local governments that have enacted BSL are extensive enough you must include research into ban restrictions when traveling.

Many states, especially in the south, are so entrapped in the hysteria that merely passing through a location constitutes a traffic stop if you are seen with a block headed, muscled up dog. Chocolate Labrador Retrievers seem to be the most targeted of the Pit Bull look alikes. Lab breeders might want to rethink that conformation when establishing a breeding program. (That's no more ridiculous than the profiling being done with Pit Bulls.)

Progress in areas that inspire the type of passion generated by dog issues is slow but we are seeing reform. I have said before and I say again, I will see sanity and education replace the ignorance of laws generated by emotion in my lifetime. People must be held accountable for their actions. Lives very literally depend on us placing responsibility where it belongs.

This week's photo is of an eight week old male Pit Bull puppy found in a dumpster in Memphis Tennessee after a botched home ear cropping. He was heard crying and found covered in blood, thrown away like so much garbage. What the heck, mess up one you can always use the rest of the litter to perfect your skill. He is being housed at the medical clinic in the Memphis Animal Shelter.