A number of  Marine and Army bases have banned pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other dogs they deemed dangerous.

By implementing this ban some dog owners are going to be forced to give up their dog or leave base housing.  Now, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island has agreed to try something new, they’re allowing animal behavior experts from the ASPCA to give temperament tests. The ban started in 2008 after several dog attacks happened on the base, one killing a 3-year-old boy.

Over 100 dogs will be tested and those who pass will get a waiver to stay on base until 2012. Here are the details from the ASPCA press release. Read the rest of this entry »

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In Salina, KS breed specific legislation (BSL)  was passed in 2005 which bans owning unregistered pit bulls and mixed breeds that are predominantly pit bull. If a pit bull is found it can be removed from the owner and either put down or possibly re-homed outside Salina.

Pit bull is a term commonly used to describe several breeds of dog, many breed-specific laws use the term “pit bull” to refer to the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and dogs with significant mixes of these breeds.

Recently a dog named Lucey was almost put down due to mistaken identity.  It all began when Angie Cartwright was pet-sitting for her brother and his dog got loose. Animal control officers picked up the dog and when he was returned saw Lucey.

The officers thought she looked like a pit bull and told Cartwright they were taking her in for testing, a DNA test. I found it interesting that they offered that option, as you’ll see in a minute it can be a lifesaving test.

Here are the details from KansasCity.com.

Today, Lucey is home, and Cartwright credits a genetic test kit that helps pet owners identify the heritage of their mixed-breed dogs.

Read the rest of this entry »

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In Mashpee, MA. a new kind of witch hunt has begun, not for humans, but for pit bull and pit bull mix puppies. Under the guise of a new bylaw claiming to protect children the owner (or keepers) of any “pit bull type dog” who has a litter must bring them to the town kennel for destruction. The bylaw claims certain breeds have “a strong instinct for dominance” and a prey drive that results in “aggressive pursuit of . . . human children.”

I find this disturbing on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin.  When your power of choice is taken away and someone else steps in to make your decisions you no longer live in a free country. This isn’t about protecting you from a dangerous breed,  it’s about the government coming in and telling you what it deems a dangerous breed and therefore making it so.

Are we not capable of making our own decisions anymore?

Here’s a comment from Best Friends Animal Society, eloquently summing up all that is wrong with the proposed bylaw.

Best Friends Animal Society feels compelled to emphasize that the aim of this bylaw is to hunt down all dogs that have the appearance of a certain breed of dog and destroy any offspring.

This bylaw is a representation of misinformed policy-makers and public making panic-induced decisions without consideration of civil liberties and reason. It takes on a school of thought similar to the witch hunts that took place in Massachusetts over three hundred years ago whereby paranoia and panic is taking over logic and reason.

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I received a very interesting email regarding legislation change happening in the UK, replacing the Dangerous Dogs Act with the Dog Control Bill.

According to Lord Redesdale, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was a reaction to high profile attacks and partly thanks to this, irresponsible dog owners now pick bull breeds as some sort of status symbol, breeding them to be tough and leading to animal welfare concerns.

Claire Robinson, the RSPCA’s Government Relations Manager, said:

“The RSPCA is delighted at the introduction of the Dog Control Bill by Lord Redesdale in the House of Lords. The Society has long stated that the Dangerous Dogs Act is flawed because it penalises dogs for their breed, rather than the deed of the owner.

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I received this from one of our Canadian Dogsters,  hopefully posting it brings some public awareness and support their way.

BSL UPDATE
Supreme Court of Canada challenge

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) came to Ontario in the form of Bill 132 and became law in August 2005. The bill established restrictions against owning, breeding, transferring, importing or abandoning “pit bulls” (defined as being Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers or any dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics substantially similar to any of those breeds).

The Dog Legislation Council of Canada (DLCC) and members of Banned Aid took up the fight against BSL and are now headed to the Supreme Court of Canada, but they need your help to get there.

This fight affects all dogs and fanciers because, “All breeds and mixes are now just a bad news story away, one pen stroke away from being wiped out by our government,” states DLCC president LeeAnn O’Reilly.

The DLCC needs to raise $67,000 by the end of January. Thus they launched the Dollars for Dogs campaign and are asking dog lovers to donate a dollar for every dog they own and love.

For more information about the DLCC and their campaign, you can read our blog or visit the DLCC’s site to learn how to donate.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this effort. Dogs in Canada encourages dog lovers to give generously.

Thanks Marg for barking this to me, eh.

* Who’s the Boss?

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“Unconditional love is often not found in our world, but through man’s best friend it is a regular occurrence when a true friend is on both ends of the leash.”

Tony Loiacono, Creator & Executive Producer of “Faithful Friends.”

Pit Bulls are the bully target today, but it wasn’t always so.  Did you know that German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans and even the St. Bernard are considered aggressive? What happened to turn Pit Bulls into fighters, making them number one on the aggressive breed hit list?

The very qualities that make these dogs outstanding companion dogs — intelligence, loyalty, courage and trainability is how Michael Vick and 20,000-40,000 others abuse their strength and power in the multibillion-dollar dog fighting industry. “There is absolutely no true concept of sport in inflicting pain on those who only know how to love unconditionally,” said Wanda Goldberg, host of “Faithful Friends” on Animal Planet. “Be a voice for those without, abuse stops here, it stops now.”

Saturday, January 17th at 9am “Faithful Friends” on Animal Planet will be covering this topic. Host Wanda Goldberg and Dr. Marty Smith ,of Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Supplies, will expound on why it isn’t the dog’s breeding but the owner that makes the difference.

At the turn of the 20th Century, the American Pit Bull Terrier was the #1 family dog in the United States and Petey, a Pit Bull Terrier, was the de facto “babysitter” of the kids on the “Our Gang” TV show.

Today, they achieve the fourth highest passing rate of all 122 breeds tested with an 82.5% that took a temperament test vs. 77% of all breeds on average. But, it is the owners at the end of the leash that turned a lover into a fighter. In the US, dog-fighting is considered a felony in every state except Wyoming and Idaho.

Human intervention is trying to ban this breed with BSL, which is interesting because that’s exactly what turned these dogs into fighting machines.  Wouldn’t it be better to change the laws that govern dogfighting than creating new ones to eliminate a breed?

Why not focus on rehabilitation rather than extermination of Pit Bulls?  It’s truly amazing what can happen with patience and unconditional love. Out of the 53 dogs removed from Michael Vick 52 have now been adopted into loving homes.

One of them is even a therapy dog providing comfort to people going through chemotherapy. Does that sound like a vicious killer to you?

*Caesar with his true friend.

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Here’s an interesting twist on the normal stories I report on regarding breed specific legislation.  Dog owners have banned together to bring a suit against four cities to question the constitutionality of BSL.

A judge Tuesday set a July 20 jury trial date for a group of dog owners and breeders who are challenging pit-bull bans in Jacksonville, Lonoke, North Little Rock and Beebe.

The trial of a lawsuit brought against the cities by Responsible Owners of Arkansas Dogs will be held before Chief U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes in Little Rock.

The lawsuit claims the breed specific bans and restrictions are unconstitutional.

Definitely want to keep an eye on this case, the outcome could be precedent setting. Thanks to Charli for barking this to me.

* The gorgeous girl above, the four-legged one, is Inky.  She was found tied to a  street pole and is currently being fostered. She  now has her AKC Canine Good Citizen award and is Therapy Dog International certified. SHE IS ADOPTABLE!

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Stacie Tamaki, a Dogster member and guardian of Kitai, returns as our guest blogger.

What You as a Pet Owner Can Do

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to assume that all dogs who bite or maul were trained to do so. The truth is that many dogs who bite, dare I say the vast majority, were never trained to be aggressive. They’re pets who became aggressive because they were either neglected and/or under-socialized. Another often overlooked type of dog who bites is the spoiled pet. Often these dogs know no boundaries. While many dogs receive no training or boundaries and the worst they will ever do is bark a lot or demand attention, there are some who will go further and develop fear, possession and territorial aggression issues. Make no mistake, though these pets are loved and pampered they are just as capable of biting as any other dog.

That said, Lisa and I agree that the most important thing all of us can do to halt the spread of BSL is for each of us as dog owners, regardless of the breed, to make sure our own pets are properly socialized and on leashes, especially in cities where the law requires them to be. Letting your dog sit in your front yard untethered is creating a scenario where your dog could bite someone or another animal walking down the street as well as run into traffic and get hit by a car. I implore you, please don’t set your pup up to fail. If it doesn’t have 100% voice recall? Don’t let it off leash. If you have a dog that you think could or would bite someone or another animal if given the opportunity? Learn how to use a basket muzzle when you take your dog out in public. Learn about behavior modification, consult a dog behaviorist, and begin basic obedience training with the help of a professional. Socializing and training both take time, but the sooner you start? The sooner your own pet will become part of the solution and not be part of the dog bite problem.

Equally important is always to speak out when you hear of BSL being proposed, even if it isn’t in your city or state. Send emails and letters to council people and legislators; call them if you don’t have time to write. If BSL is being proposed in your local community, attend city council meetings and speak up. Advocate for the dogs. Calmly and respectfully offer alternatives like the ones listed above. If nobody says anything the laws will pass unchallenged. It’s up to all of us to protect both our pets and communities while at the same time bringing an end to BSL.

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Stacie Tamaki, a Dogster member and guardian of Kitai, returns as our guest blogger.

Recently my Dogster pal Lisa from www.helpfido.net helped to defeat breed-specific legislation (BSL).

My personal feeling on the matter is that BSL unfairly punishes owners with loving, well-adjusted pets based on the bad actions of a few dogs within their breed. Plus there are other solutions that would be more effective in helping to bring down the overall number of dog bites and maulings that take place in our country each year. If making communities safer is the goal, targeting one breed or a small group of breeds still leaves the community at risk to dozens of others breeds that, when owned by people interested in dog fighting or careless and indifferent owners, are just as capable of causing harm to both people and other animals.

So how did she do it? How did www.helpfido.net help defeat the proposed BSL?

1. By being willing to acknowledge that Bully breeds in particular are not the same as every other breed of dog. All breeds of dogs have certain traits; many of the dogs that fall under the “bully breed” classification have issues with dog aggression. Overlooking or denying this simple fact can cause your opposition to not take any of your other points and ideas seriously because you won’t appear to see their side of things. Unless you can show them you hear them and share their concerns you won’t be able to effectively communicate with them.

2. Educate and license owners of power breeds. Especially first-time dog owners. Licensing should not be construed as a bad thing but rather a positive, it shows the neighborhood that you are a responsible owner and are educated in handling your pet. It sets you apart from the dog owners who give the rest of us a bad name. Combining licensing and education can teach owners about training methods and early socialization to ensure the safety of their communities.

3. Help coordinate to bring animal services into your community. Work with city officials to promote free or low-cost spay/neuter services, vaccine clinics, microchip clinics, training classes and registration drives. Provide grant information to city officials to direct them to funding to offset the costs of providing such services.

4. When you contact councilmen and legislators do so using more facts than emotion, to make your points. Saying you own a friendly bully breed as a pet doesn’t address the larger concern that council people and legislators have for the dogs who are in the hands of irresponsible owners.

5. Support education for adults. More adults need to know that regardless of breed it is NEVER safe to leave any dog unattended with infants and small children. Dogs as large as the targeted BSL breeds and as small as a Pomeranian have caused serious injury and death to infants. The responsibility to keep kids safe is up to the adult who is supervising the interaction between both.

6. Bring dog safety education into the schools. Children need to know how to behave around dogs and how to interact with them safely. So many of the things kids are naturally inclined to do, such as running near a dog, can result in a dog giving chase as its prey drive is triggered, the child being knocked over, and the end result is a bite. Something as benign as a hug can result in a bite. Kids need to be told that dogs may perceive a hug as threatening, not loving. Any child may poke, pull on, hit, or do who knows what to a dog not meaning any harm, but the end result is a bite and a friendly but provoked pet being euthanized at Animal Control.

7. Demand stronger enforcement of leash laws and increased penalties. The fines can be funneled back into animal-related community programs. If a dog is under an owner’s control the odds of a bite go from very possible to highly unlikely.

8. Statistically kids who are unsupervised are more likely to suffer from being bitten than those who do have more parental or adult supervision. More after-school and community activities and programs for at-risk kids would help to reduce the number of bites, by getting them into adult-supervised programs that on a peripheral level offer a safety cushion against dog bites and other many other dangers.

9. Recognize and agree that the status quo is not acceptable and that rather than BSL, the more effective approach would be to hold owners responsible through dangerous dog laws which will more effectively target dogs of ALL breeds who endanger public safety by holding owners responsible for their pets’ actions.

10. Point out that visual breed identification will always be a flawed process. It is not always possible to tell the breed of a dog, especially mixed breeds by a visual ID process. In the process of enforcing “mixed breed” or dogs that “appear to be of” bully breed lineage, there will always be collateral damage. Dogs who contain no targeted breed DNA but because their head is a little “boxy” or their neck a little too “thick” will be condemned to die or their owners forced to sell their homes to move to a community where they will be accepted and safe.

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