Download this article in PDF here: Man Bites Dog: Breed Specific Legislation
 

Below is a list of what many anti-BSL supporters and other dog lovers believe would be some good ideas to implement in order to prevent BSL, irresponsible breeding, animal abuse/neglect and much more:

Alternatives to BSL

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

2-Mandatory Class and Test to own dog;*

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

4-Hefty fee for 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 a reputable kennel club (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 covered above are related to the threat and practice of Breed Specific Legislation.If you are one of these people, please review the main points in this article carefully and link them together.Irresponsible dog ownership comes in many forms and we need to educate in every sense to correctly eliminate the problem. All of these matters discussed intertwine.

For the dog loving community's sake, we must try to filter out irresponsible owners. Why are we able to apply guidelines and restrictions when obtaining a gun, but not when obtaining or breeding dogs?Why should we not regulate pet ownership to ensure 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 and all other dogs in the process.

By giving animals more rights, thereby 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 actually put effort into caring for their dog.Additionally, by giving law enforcement the ability to properly enforce these laws, we are not only significantly fighting animal abuse, dog fighters, criminals, puppy mills, backyard breeders and pet overpopulation, but we are adding a higher level of ethics and standards into a society that has a serious lack of respect for companion animals.

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

Please note that through this article, I'm not asking you to love or go out and adopt a Pit Bull breed, a Rottweiler, or any particular breed of dog.My only desire is that people understand that dogs, like humans, cannot choose how they are classified, nor does the classification given to them by humans ever accurately 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. Although my greatest hope, as well as my 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-Dusenberry, at Angeleyes@iheartpaws.com

~Written for www.IHeartPaws.com homepage and forums– feel free to cross post with link and credit~

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