Some Great Legislative Gains

Big Kudos to the State of Ohio for ditching their pitbull ban (with the help of Best Friends!) and to the City of Las Vegas for legalizing the proper management of cat colonies!!

Well done.

See the goods here and here.

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Please Call Now to Register Your Displeasure at Breed Specific Legislation

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ACTION NEEDED: Breed Specific Legislation kills innocent animals and destroys families. The Union Tribune in San Diego, CA is running a week long poll. Please call 1-800-244-6397 Ext. 2506 and press "2" to vote that we should ban the deed and not the breed. The call takes less than a minute. Please share this with your friends.

 
 
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Way To Go Ohio!

Welcome news.

TOLEDO, Ohio - Two of Ohio's largest cities have decided not to label dogs as dangerous simply because they're a certain type of canine, and a proposal being considered by Ohio lawmakers would make a similar change to state law.

Proponents of the changes say some types, such as those known under the general term "pit bulls," have been misrepresented and it's wrong to them single out, but supporters of existing regulations that do just that say it's better to be overly cautious.

The city council in Cleveland has decided to change its vicious dog rules so the animals are classified by their behavior, not because they're a specific breed or type of dog, The Blade in Toledo reported Sunday. Owners of dogs that attempt to or succeed in harming a person or another pet are required to follow strict regulations on how the dog is kept and how much liability insurance they must have.

...John Dinon, executive director of the Toledo Area Humane Society, favors that kind of legislation.

"This whole obsession with `pit bulls' I think is a distraction for truly effective public policy on dangerous dogs," Dinon said. "The fact that people are now looking at dog behavior and owner responsibility is a huge step toward making our communities and Ohio safer places."

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Way To Go Ohio!

Folks, much legislative news this week. Thanks to those who care enough to see it through.

From the wonderful Toledo Blade (I love this paper and I live in New York!):

COLUMBUS -- A bill granting the "pit bull'' a reprieve from an Ohio law that automatically judges it to be a vicious dog won bipartisan support Wednesday on its way to the House floor.

The House Criminal Justice Committee voted 10-2 to send the bill to the full chamber, where it is expected to see a vote before the General Assembly recesses for the summer before the end of the month.

"This has been around the block a number of times,'' said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Barbara Sears (R., Monclova Township). "We've been through the painstaking process of getting due-process into the bill. It's there, and it's been very well vetted.''

And this part I really love because it shows that legislation takes negotiation and hard work and patience and perseverance and it's so good to be able to report a victory after all that...

The House approved a measure removing the breed-specific language from Ohio law last session only to see it die without a vote in the Senate. Ms. Sears hopes that recently added language creating new and revised classifications of dogs and spelling out the responsibilities of owners for each class will make the difference this time.

The changes have brought the Ohio Dog Wardens Association, who previously opposed the bill, on board.

Check out the full story.
 
 

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Way to Go Tallahassee!

I'm so glad to see things turning around for dogs used in fighting operations and for both sides of the political aisle realizing that dogs can be rehabilitated. A holocaust happens every year in our nation's shelters, and pitbulls suffer the brunt of it. They are inherently happy dogs, always wanting to please their owners, and they can be trained easily, which is how our society's low-lives take advantage of them.

Thanks to Tallahassee, Florida for putting thought behind legislation -- not a small thing! We need more of this from other municipalities.

Dolly, a pit bull terrier believed to have been used as a bait dog to get fighters ready for matches, was a docile participant at a noontime news conference. Three legislators posted big photos of her bloodied snout and scars in the Capitol rotunda. The legislators and attorney Ledy VanKavage of the Best Friends Animal Society said no breed is always dangerous and very few abused animals are beyond redemption.

"You can see what a wonderful animal this is," Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, said of Dolly. "This is a dog that has been typified as a vicious type of animal but, as you can see, if dogs are treated right, they're man's best friend, ladies' best friend — just wonderful creatures."

Bill Cotterell of pnj has the full story.



xoxo

Des Moines, Iowa: Where a dog that hasn't attacked anyone gets euthanized.

This just seems wrong.

http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12707448

"It should be this dog attacked somebody so we are going to euthanize it," Jessica said. "It shouldn't be the dog was sitting on a balcony relaxing, playing with his family; we are going to euthanize him."

Des Moines, Iowa: Where a dog that hasn't attacked anyone gets euthanized.  Never mind the private property rights homeowners ought to have; the level of stupidity on the part of local legislators is staggering enough. Now that lack of imagination will cost their city money to ward off the inevitable lawsuits challenging breed specific legislation, which the animal protection community will fully support.

Stupid is as stupid does. The owners ought to have been aware of the law; but a dog should not be euthanized when no crime has been committed.

Des Moines, Iowa.

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