Seattle Met article "Consider the Pitbull"

Snippets from a recent article discussing Pitbull legislations in Seattle.

"The attack on Huong Le more than four years ago (September 8, 2008) could have happened yesterday—or the day before that, or tomorrow—argue anti–pit bull activists, because neither King County nor Seattle has comprehensive laws that target the dogs. The mauling helped spark a countywide pit bull debate, the reverberations of which can still be felt today. Weeks after Le was released from Harborview, her family issued a statement to the media, calling for a ban on pit bulls in Washington. In Seattle earlier that year a speech and acting coach named Ellen Taft proposed legislation to the city council that would, if not outright ban the dogs, make it nearly impossible to legally maintain them within city limits. Another woman, Colleen Lynn, a freelance web designer, launched a victims’ advocacy site, inspired in part by an attack she sustained while jogging in Beacon Hill.

Pit bull owners, meanwhile, insist their pets are among the sweetest, safest dogs a person can own, that savage attacks like the one on Huong Le are an anomaly, exceptions rather than the rule. The real enemies, many pit bull supporters insist, are careless owners and, worse, those trying to kill the city’s pit bull party. "

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"Astute pet lovers in the city, however, know better than to underestimate Ellen Taft. Just ask dog owners who used to let their dogs play in the now-nonexistent designated dog area in Volunteer Park; or go ahead and try to find an owner out in public with his pooch off leash—just to name a couple Taft triumphs. “This is Seattle, and most people are followers,” she says, “and they don’t like to be labeled uncool and antidog, so they don’t say it; but I think there’d be a lot of people out there who’d like to see some restrictions on pit bulls.”

Pit bulls, she insists, are a public danger on par with assault weapons. “Because they were specifically bred to fight other dogs, the damage that they inflict is much greater than any other dog.”"

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"Dr. James Ha, an animal behaviorist at the University of Washington who has testified in the courtroom for numerous animal attack cases, agrees with Van Helvoort[pro pit bull and pit bull guardian]. Despite the splashy headlines and even the dog-bite death rates, there is nothing about pit bull–type dogs, as breeds, that makes them any more dangerous than many other dogs, Ha says. “We have to make a big distinction between a genetic breed predisposition, and how the animals are handled or trained. Many years ago German shepherds were the ‘bad’ dogs, because people kept them for protection, and criminals held them for protecting property. Then it was Dobermans, then Rottweilers, now pit bulls. All of these breeds have equally high aggression drives and can be trained, or mistreated, into becoming dangerous animals.” And while it’s true that due to breeding that took place a century ago, the dogs, with their superior neck and upper-body strength, are capable physically of doing deadly damage to humans and other animals, “pit bulls have no different threshold for aggression than those other breeds.”"

Please read the full article here.

Oklahoma State Senator Abandons Breed Ban Law

"On Wednesday, the office for Oklahoma State Senator Patrick Anderson from Enid has abandoned his proposal a new state law that would allow municipalities to pass ordinances banning certain breeds of dogs.

“Under current law, it is illegal for communities to pass ordinances that would prohibit the ownership of certain breeds of dogs within their community,” Senator Patrick Anderson, a Republican, told FOX23 about Senate Bill 32 earlier this month.

Senator Anderson's bill would have changed that by letting any city, town, or incorporated area ban whatever dog breeds they want, although some breeds are more likely to get the boot than others.

“(This bill) doesn't specifically target pit bulls, but it says a community can choose to ban a specific breed if they choose to do so. Most of the discussions I have ever had about the topic center around pit bulls,” Senator Anderson said.

The Manager of Tulsa Animal Welfare, Jean Letcher, had some strong feelings on the proposal.

“My personal opinion is it's a step backwards for us. You're going basically on appearance (when you ban the breeds),” Letcher told FOX23.

Another reason the staff members at the Tulsa Animal Shelter didn't like the proposal, they work hard to find homes for pit bulls and pit bull mixes.

“Irresponsible dog ownership is the biggest reason for dog bites, dog maulings, and other problems,” Letcher said.

Letcher says this bill doesn't address that, and she thinks what it does won't do Oklahomans any favors.

“We cannot determine the behavior of any individual animal based on its appearance, and trying to pass laws saying we can, I think provides a false sense of security,” Letcher said.

A week and a half ago, Senator Anderson was not budging. 

“(This is about) public safety. I think that's the bottom line, we need to make sure we are protecting our citizens,” Anderson said.

FOX23 found two newlyweds in Tulsa who own a two-and-a-half-year-old pit bull who say the bill was a bad idea.

“I think it's devastating, I think it's pretty tell-tale in ignoring the obvious, which would be the human factor,” Scott McDaniel said.

His wife Meaghan agreed and said dog owners need to do their homework instead of the state letting cities ban certain breeds.

“(Pit bulls) can be raised to be the best dogs if they're raised properly and have good responsible owners,” she said.

Both agreed that had SB32 passed and become law, they would have moved if their town outlawed their dog.

SB32 was an Emergency Bill which means is it is approved by the legislature, it becomes law as soon as it is signed by Governor Fallin. "

via Fox23 with accompanying video

Maryland Pitbull laws in the balance

In Maryland, USA, the laws are currently in the balance concerning Pitbulls.

via Stubbydog.org

"Last April, the Maryland Court of Appeals deemed all pit bulls “inherently dangerous”. They also enacted strict liability for landlords. This all stems from a dog bite inflicted on a child, by a dog who lived his life on a chain and was not adequately socialized."

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"On to the fallout. Landlords everywhere are banning pit bulls from their property. Insurance companies are refusing to insure households with pit bulls. Shelters are filling up and having a lot more difficulty adopting out pit bulls."

Read the full article here.

Dogster interview with Victoria Stilwell

The interview covers her show, breeding, rescues, and BSL.

Read it here.