Man Bites Dog: Breed Specific Legislation by Christina Harvey

Alternatives to BSL

1-Enforce License Laws (and other laws already in place)

2-Mandatory Class and Test to own dog*

3-Spay/Neuter- Mandatory (Reputable Breeders Exempt)

4-Hefty fee per breeding license (license per breed- not more than 5 breeds or 2 in major cities)

5-Yearly License Fee enforced w/ proof of existence/life (vital for keeping accurate records of breeders and litters)

6-Government regulated dog laws

7-Felony for vet to mislead

8-Felony to fight, abuse, or neglect pets

9-With City, State or Government regulated animal care and controls income will be higher with license, class, test and fine fees than current income from adoption fees.No longer a need to hire by contract.

10-Unsupervised tethering to be banned

* 2- By forcing dog owners to take training courses BEFORE dog ownership we prevent many of the unknown factors and teach them how to prevent common behavioral problems before it becomes a problem and they ultimately surrender their pet to a 50% death gamble.

Breeder Requirements:

- Breed to AKC/UKC etc. standard for bettering of the breed.

- May not breed bitch prior to second heat (or 2 years of age) and no more than once per year.

- All buyers required to sign contract to return dog(s) to breeder in the event of surrendering the pet.Breeders must take responsibility for the lives they bring into this world.

- Mandatory genetic testing prior to breeding a bitch/stud

- Health Guarantee- monetary refund or replacement (if breeder agrees to replacement) in the event the dog becomes seriously ill or dies (if no foul play in question)

- Must show dogs for confirmation of meeting breed standard and/or compete in canine sports or work events.

- By law must accept or monetarily support any offspring of their dogs in the event of a surrender until a suitable home can be found.

- Pass test covering all aspects of responsible breeding

- Sign contract to follow reputable breeding practices (breach of this contract punishable by fine and/or revocation of license)

- Pay fee for each breeding license, and keep updated records with the department (yet to be named).Records will need to be confirmed by a vet with yearly "proof of life" to ensure that breeders are not obtaining licenses in deceased dogs names (a common practice with puppy mills)

You may not think that spay/neuter, dog tethering, poor breeding practices, puppy mills, enforcing laws or many of the topics I've covered are related to the threat and practice of Breed Specific Legislation. If you are one of these people, sit and review the main points in this article and link them together. I assure you that irresponsible dog ownership comes in many forms and we need to educate in every sense to correctly eliminate the problem. All of these matters meet down the line.

For the dog loving community's sake we must try to filter out irresponsible owners. We are able to apply guidelines and restrictions when obtaining a gun, but not dogs? Why should we not regulate pet owners to be sure our animals are well cared for? Should we not make it harder for ill-intentioned individuals to obtain and keep pets by provide proof that this animal is being used as a companion or humane work? While doing this we would also be protecting and regulating the exploitation of strong breeds such as Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherd Dogs, Pit Bull breeds, Mastiff's, etc. not to forget all dogs in the process.

By giving animals more rights, taking away the rights for humans to mistreat animals by making them put effort into to owning a dog the owners who comply would be more likely to put effort into caring for their dog. Additionally, by giving law enforcement the ability to enforce these laws we are not only significantly fighting animal abuse, dog fighters, criminals, puppy mills, backyard breeders and pet over population and more, but we are adding ethics and standards into a society that seriously lacks respect for companion animals.

Enough people in our country own and love dogs for these issues to be addressed. It's unfortunate that not enough people are aware of the threats posed to our beloved companions. I for one will not sit back idly and allow this holocaust to worsen.

Please note that I'm not asking you to love or go out and adopt a Pit Bull breed, a Rottweiler, or any breed of dog. My only desire is for people to understand that dogs, like humans cannot choose what they are classified as- nor does the "classification" given to them by humans define who they are. Whether it is race, religion, breed, appearance or any differentiating factor- all dogs and people just want to live and be loved. Though my greatest hope, as well as the motivation behind this article is that you decide to join the millions of people against Breed Specific Legislation and animal cruelty.

For more information on how to stop BSL check out this great resource page http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/BSLindex.htm

Did you know about PETA's corruption and Ingrid Newkirk's personal vendetta against Pit Bulls?If you love Pit Bulls breeds or any companion animal please check out this article: http://www.iheartpaws.com/articles/40/1/Non-Profit-Organizations--Beware-of-the-Bad-Apples-by-Christina-Harvey.html

Sources:
Millan, Cesar. Cesar's Way. New York: Harmony Books, 2006.
Hearne, Vicki. Bandit: Dossier of a Dangerous Dog. The Akadine Press, 2002.
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.bulldogbreeds.com/americanpitbullterrier.html
http://www.fataldogattacks.com
http://bad-rap.org
http://pitbulllovers.com
http://nopitbullbans.com
http://bestfriends.com
http://www.understand-a-bull.com
http://www.aspca.com

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.Feel free to contact the author, Christina Harvey, at Angeleyes@iheartpaws.com