BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION INFORMATION AND INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION

BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION (BSL)

Addressing the real issues of crime, poverty, animal abuse, ignorance, greed and man's lust for violence is far too daunting a task for most people and so we blame the dogs for our societal ills.
~Karen Delise

One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils of this world are to be cured by legislation.
~Thomas B. Reed (1886)

Animal relinquishment is not a problem of too many dogs and cats but one of too few responsible owners.
~ John A. Hamil, DVM, Past President, CVMA

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
~ Martin Niemöller

Breed Specific Legislation is based on the idea that certain breeds are inherently bad and are more likely to cause harm to humans than any other breed of dog. This premise of Breed Specific Legislation, or BSL, is wrong because it bases a dog's behavior solely on the physical characteristics of a dog, rather than the temperament and character of the individual animal. BSL is as wrong and prejudicial as saying that ALL young, inner city black males are gang members, or ALL muslims are terrorists.

All dogs share the same genetic code, despite physical characteristics that can be dramatically different. From Chihuahuas to Mastiffs, from Poodles to German Shepherds. It is man who has created differences in the breeds by selectively breeding for certain traits.

In the US, anyone can breed dogs and call themselves a breeder. Reputable and responsible breeders breed to improve their chosen breed. They spend years researching and studying pedigrees and genetics. They have spent thousands of dollars in showing and trialing their dogs to prove that their dogs are sound in mind and body, and in health testing to ensure the dogs they are breeding are free as possible from the genetic diseases that commonly occur in their breed. Breeding partners are carefully screened and selected to set correct temperament, health, conformation and specific desireable traits. Good breeders carefully screen prospective puppy buyers to ensure that their puppies go to responsible, loving homes, and they sell their puppies with contracts that guarantee health, and require specific performance from their owners (such as the spaying and nuetering of pet quality dogs). These are not the kinds of dogs or owners that you see in the media headlines, that attract public attention and spawn BSL.

Unfortunately, not everyone who wants or owns a dog is a responsible owner, or provides a good home for their dogs. Their chances of getting a dog from a reputable breeder are practically zero. However, there are breeders out there who breed solely for profit, or for a multitude of wrong reasons. The pairing of two dogs is given little thought as long as there is money in it, or they get what they want out of it. Bad temperaments, poor genetics, and proper socialization of what they produce doesn't matter, because after their puppies are sold, they never give them a second thought. They don't care who buys them, as long as they can pay up. There are also those that who breed and raise dogs specifically to encourage aggressive characteristics. These kind of people want guard dogs to protect their drug business, or want dogs to use in highly profitable dog fights. Again, the motivation is financial, and they do not have any regard for the public or their animal's well being. Of course there are also the well intentioned, but still irresponsible breeders that wants to have another dog like their "Fabulous Fido", or that wants their children to witness the miracle of birth, or that lets their intact animals roam the neighborhood where they can be bred by any intact dog. Bottom line, the dogs are not the problem, it is the people who own them that are the problem.

In most cases, these kinds of dogs are poorly bred, poorly socialized, and poorly cared for. It doesn't make them bad dogs, they have just been cursed with bad owners. They may have spent their entire life chained up and neglected in the backyard. They may have been removed from their littermates at too young of an age, which happens when the "backyard breeder" gets tired of all the extra work and expense that a litter of puppies brings. With this type of breeder, puppies go home at 6 weeks and miss out on the critical canine socialization stage that occurs between week 6 and 8. It's an important time to be with their littermates, and missing this stage can make a dog aggressive to other dogs, or creates a dog that does not learn bite inhibition.

A dog that goes bad may have been beaten and abused, making it fearful of humans. It may have been starved, fed and watered by it's owners only when convenient, or deprived of necessary medical care, turning a domestic animal feral, and forcing it to revert to its animal instincts for survival. The dog may not have been properly socialized, both as a puppy and a growing dog, thus making an adult dog that is highly territorial and lacking the skills to get along with unknown humans or animals. The dog may have owners that do not understand basic canine behavior, and put their dog into situations that it is not equipped to handle. There are also owners that intentionally make a dog mean and aggressive, either to fight the dog, or because it makes them feel more masculine to have a "tough dog".

In all of these examples, these are PROBLEMS CAUSED BY HUMANS. It is the dogs that pay the price for the acts of irresponsible humans, and BSL equates to ALL dogs of a given breed paying the price, even when no aggressive act or crime has been committed. An entire breed or breeds of dog gets persecuted and banned because of the actions of a minority of dogs and their irresponsible owners. That is why BSL is wrong, why it doesn't work, and why the root of the problem, and ultimately the solution, needs to be addressed with people, not the dogs. We don't ban cars because some people drive drunk and kill people. Instead, we enact laws to specifically punish the offenders, and work to educate people about responsibility. Dogs should be no different.

BSL does nothing to prevent irresponsible owners from perpetuating problems that result in injury to humans and other animals. In fact, it compounds it. Law abiding and responsible owners will comply with laws, no matter how much they may dislike or disapprove of them. Irresponsible owners and those that live outside of the law will not comply, and the root of the problem continues. If we don't address the real root of the problem, all we are doing is putting a bandaid on the problem to cover it up, because these type of owners will simply move on to another breed. Then another breed gets banned. The cycle keeps repeating itself because the real problem is never addressed.

Banning breeds unjustly penalizes good owners and break up families, and does nothing to punish the problem owners by not holding them accountable for their actions. If one breed is banned, they simply move on to another, and continue to perpetuate the problem with yet another breed of dog. All dog owners should be held legally responsible for the actions of their animals. Only then will people begin to understand the responsibility that comes with ownership. Of course most people who are opposed to this kind of reasonable and smart legislation, legislation that actually works, are the people who are irresponsible owners.

All responsible dog owners faced with BSL in their communities need to encourage law makers to enact non-breed specific dangerous dog ordinances, that protect citizens from ALL dangerous dogs, without penalizing good owners, and their well behaved family pets. In most cases, laws that are already on the books are sufficient, providing they are enforced. Enacting more laws is not the answer, but it does give politicians a vehicle to make their constituents feel like they are actually doing something, at the expense of our dogs and our rights.

Get involved in your communities. Become active in the legislative processes of your state and local governments. At no other time are our rights as dog owners so at risk as they are now. The animal rights movements are behind much of the legislation that is sweeping this nation like wildfire. They want to take away YOUR RIGHTS to your animals, not only through BSL, but through mandatory spay/neuter laws, anti-tethering laws, and by laws that eliminate your rights as a pet owner by introducing "guardianship" to replace "ownership". These laws may sound good on the surface to the average pet owner; however, these laws take away your rights to your companion animals. Make no bones about it, the HSUS and PETA are no friend to the responsible pet owner. Their agenda is to end pet ownership in this country.

For more information, visit NAIA, the National Animal Interest Alliance and My Dog Votes.

To voice your opinions to legislators on active Anti Canine Legislation, visit Paws4Laws.

For news on active BSL across the USA, please visit Jan Cooper's website, the most complete and up-to-date place for BSL news. Jan's BSL updates are available in audio format and are updated frequently. Please visit her site regularly and write letters to legislators to support your position on BSL! If you need help with writing a letter, Jan has helpful letter templates on her website that make it easy.

Click the play button to view BSL videos

Jan Cooper's Weekly Audio BSL Update
BSL Updates (Yahoo Group)
BSL By State and Sample BSL Letters
The American Canine Foundation
The American Dog Owners Association
Georgia Canine Coalition
National Animal Interest Alliance
Dog Watch
My Dog Votes

INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION

UNDER DEVELOPMENT.