Gearing up for Breed Specific Legislation in PA.

[3CsMommy]

The Commonwealth Committee for Agricultural and Rural Affairs has been presented with a bill that will put the power to define "dangerous" breeds of dogs into the hands of local governments (townships and counties) and allow the banning thereof. It's filed as H 671, and seems to be the groundwork for localized Breed Specific Legislation/Pit Bull Bans to start cropping up in Pennsylvania.

More information is available here for those who are interested: http://content.bestfriends.org/he/v...mberID=272439345&ListName=bfas&MailID=8666707

(Side note: I'm not here to argue about Pit Bulls, Rottweilers or whatever type of dog being considered 'dangerous'. I wanted to pass along this information for dog lovers in the state of PA because I think there are better ways to approach the problem. The issue, as I see it, is not what kind of dogs are attacking people, but that too many people don't take proper care of their dogs. In a state famous for its puppy mills, Breed Specific Legislation just seems like a waste of time and money.)

 

[mapache315]

I find it fascinating that everytime I watch a dog show, they always talk about how child friendly the AmStaff's are. Guess the breeders and showers don't know what they are talking about.

I'd personally get rid of pomeranians before pitbulls or rotties. I've been bitten by FOUR. If I did something aggressive or tried to pick the dog up etc I wouldn't even mention it, but poms can be nightmares (mostly because people spoil them too much and they don't learn manners).

I agree that this isn't going to do much to solve anything.

 

[3CsMommy]

I've made it a rule to not even attempt to touch a toy breed if we're out in public. I've seen so many of them be territorial and aggressive, I'm not risking my hand or the dog's life by trying to be social with an unsocialized animal.

 

[Megan]

UGH, not again!!! We had a bill floating HB 2553 I believe last year. Thanks for the heads up, i'l cross post on the pit forums i am on if its not there already.

PLEASE PA PEOPLE START CALLING/WRITING. THIS IS VERY, VERY BAD TO HAVE IN PA--IT WILL NOT JUST STOP THE BREED YOU DON'T LIKE, BUT ANY AND ALL BREEDS CAN BE EFFECTED!!

 

[3CsMommy]

I just received a reply to one of my emails about this bill tonight. Rep. Mark Longetti for Mercer Cty has been made aware of it, the reasons some of us dislike it, and said the points I highlighted "made sense to [him]".

First time I've gotten a civil reply from a politician about an animal right/welfare bill. Woo Hoo!

 

[Megan]

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/love-dogs-then-ask-your-pa-reps-to-oppose-h-671

 

[CTChin]

I know the people trying to pass these bans are soooooo ignorant but try to remember that partly the point of breed discrimination bans are to teach people not to have prejudice against ANY breed. It is mainly an owner problem not a breed problem. We shouldn't mention other breeds to defend the ones we love and in consideration ( and I'm a doberman owner). We have to remember we are trying to say NO breed should be banned.

 

[pricklesnquills]

I've made it a rule to not even attempt to touch a toy breed if we're out in public. I've seen so many of them be territorial and aggressive, I'm not risking my hand or the dog's life by trying to be social with an unsocialized animal.

I know. I don't want to judge all dogs based on this. However, I've yet to meet a mean or aggressive bully breed(or bad rep) dog. The majority of the nippy, mean, aggressive dogs I have met were a small or toy breed.

I think people think that since they're so small, it's excusable....:hair:

 

[CTChin]

I know. I don't want to judge all dogs based on this. However, I've yet to meet a mean or aggressive bully breed(or bad rep) dog. The majority of the nippy, mean, aggressive dogs I have met were a small or toy breed.

I think people think that since they're so small, it's excusable....:hair:

Well I have worked in an animal hospital for years and I can tell you every breed has some aggression in it in the right situation. Even the number one breed in the country

The problem is that when a rottie wants to take me out during an exam I am a lot more afraid than if a toy breed does. That is the problem we are combatting.

How do we get rid of dumb owners who can't control their dog or who believe it will NEVER bite? My dobe is very gentle but I would never say never. People need to be smarter dog owners.

 

[E.dante]

I really think the whole not letting people have sertine dogs becouse of there breeds is stupid. All dogs have a tendency to bite yet all dogs have a tendancy not to bite too. I have walked and peted many dogs just fine but one of my friends walks along and pets the same animal and it bite them. Most of them have been mutts. As for the whole chows, pits, rots, and anyother animal. All i can say is this.

Last summer my friend had to get rid of his chow so my family took it in. He was doing fine. He was naturally skittish of poeple though but he warmed up slowly. One day on vacation with my dad my mom called up and told us that the chow had attacked our wenner dog and put three hug holes in him. When i got back my mom told me that i had to take him to the pound to be put to sleep becouse he was getting more agressive and she was afraid he was gonna bit someone (at the time we lived in the middle of indianapolis). So the next day while my mom was at work i went to get the chow to put him in the car. When i bent down to put the leash on him. The chow lunged with out any sign of attack at my neck. Befor I could do anything our pit had hit him in the side befor he touched my neck. My sister and me spent 20 mins trying to get the 2 off each other. Luckly neither had any bad cuts or anything. I took the chow to the shealter and he was put down. The whole time shacking and crying about everything that just happened. While the man at the shealter was yelling at me about how i was cutting into his time.

I believe its not the breed that you have to watch out for but the personality. I can say two things that i am grateful for that day. I am glade to have saved the pit pup from across the street that was hit by a car and all the only thing the druged up neighbors would do was shoot him and im glade it was me not some kid that came up to pet the chow.

 

[3CsMommy]

In my area, at least, I have yet to run into an aggressive dog larger than 20 pounds that I wasn't warned about by its owner. On the other hand, someone's Yorkie just tried to snag my sandwich out of my hand from her carrying bag last week, and the woman thought it was funny.

I think when the accepted style of pet ownership changes, people who aren't fully prepared to be responsible for a carnivorous animal adopt the 'trend' instead of treating dog care like the major lifestyle decision it is. Forty or fifty years ago, no one thought twice about seeing a dog chained in someone's back yard/garden because that's "where dogs belonged" in many people's minds. Now, dog owners put clothes on them, carry them around in designer luggage or strollers, and buy them jewelry. The problem I see with this much of the time is, people don't realize their dog, whatever kind they've decided on, is still so close to its wolf ancestors that they can interbreed and have reproductively viable offspring (which doesn't even happen with horses and donkies or zebras). They're all little wolves in a way, and I think every dog, regardless of its characteristics has the potential to be just as dangerous to someone as a wolf could. They deserve the respect and consideration it takes to teach them how to be acceptable members of the human world, while keeping them able to enjoy life as an animal, not an accessory. The idea that a dog with a big square head or a patch over his eye is somehow more 'wolf-like' than the Yorkie that might well have bitten *me* trying to get my food is ludicrous, and yet, very popular, to the continued suffering of boxer, rottie, dobie, AmStaff, and plain old mutt owners all over the country.

I think the message we need to send regarding BSL is that you can't legislate out the Stupid in the world, but with some effort, we might be able to punish it out of people by actually enforcing the leash, licensing and speuter laws already in effect.

 

[Dolyphinm]

It should be made into law that anyone who is not showing or putting their dogs into sanctioned competitions needs to spay or neuter their pets. Otherwise your pet could be taken away from you by the time it a year old. Heck maybe even 6 months.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I think the biggest thing everyone needs to remember is not based on breeds or even species. Anything with teeth can bite.

I also work at a vet office and I agree with what was posted earlier. I'm less afraid of the bigger dogs because they're usually controlled better and are less likely to bite. On the other hand, if a large dog is aggressive, I am much more cautious and worried about getting bitten. I've had a little dog maul my hand and not leave much damage, a big dog barely scratched my leg when it was nervous and I have a scar from it. It's just plain and simple that they can do more damage...so stupid people really shouldn't be allowed to have larger dogs. It's never the dogs fault...if I put a leash on them and take them to the back away from their crazy owner, they are ALWAYS well behaved. Once they realize that the owner isn't there and control isn't in their hands they don't try to bite or do anything stupid. That, to me, proves any dog can go bad with a stupid owner.