Monroe Protest – Part II
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
Hey Monroe!
Say NO to Breed Specific Legislation!
What is it?
Monroe City Council is proposing an ordinance that will deem dogs of certain physical attributes potentially dangerous without the dog needing to have committed any act of harm.
Why is this bad?
B.S.L. is based on physical appearance. In cities across the country dogs have been wrongly taken into custody for no wrong doing because they were believed to be a breed that they were not. Boxers, Labrador Retrievers, Ridgebacks, Great Danes, Bulldogs, Huskies, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, and Belgian Shepherds are just a few breeds that could fall into the descriptions of the breeds Monroe City Council has proposed.
B.S.L. does nothing to educate or protect citizens from dangerous dogs. All dogs can bite. Dogs of any breed can be dangerous. There is no such thing as a breed of dog inherently more likely to bite than another. Monroe City Council has proposed an ordinance to declare certain dogs potentially dangerous without them having committed any wrong doing at all while others must first attack a human before being declared so. Under this ordinance, an Akita who is a therapy dog for the elderly and a Dalmatian who has mauled a child are considered equal threats, and it would take a second mauling for that Dalmatian to be declared dangerous. Don’t we owe our children better protection than that? Regardless of a dog’s outward appearance, it’s the owner that is responsible for its actions. In many cities across the country with similar laws, bite statistics have sadly increased, not lowered, due to continued irresponsible ownership. Until we are able to educate owners on the importance of socialization and proper care of their canine companions, and hold all owners responsible for the actions of their dogs, regardless of breed, unnecessary bites will continue to occur.
Costly to the city and taxpayers. Higher cost to enforce BSL, more kennels to house the dogs, vet care, food, euthanasia, etc.
Are there effective alternatives?
In Calgary, BC there is no breed ban. Instead of creating more laws, existing leash laws and licensing requirements were more stringently enforced. An effective education outreach campaign was initiated. Dog bites dropped 70% and the number of dogs licensed now stands at 90%. That’s huge! As a comparison, most license rates are below 20% in the United States.
Get Involved!
Saturday November 15 @ noon
FABb members will be meeting in downtown Monroe (near Denny’s) to hand out fliers and let the community know exactly what breed specific legislation (BSL) is and how it will affect dogs and the people who love them. Focus will be on the fact that BSL will not promote community safety, but will only target responsible dog owners of those breeds that the City of Monroe seek to target.
Tuesday November 18 @ 7.00pm
Monroe Council Meeting
City Council Chambers
City Hall, 806 W Main St., Monroe, WA 98272
FABB along with concerned members of the community will be at Monroe Council meeting to oppose BSL. We encourage ALL dog lovers to join us and voice your opposition to this archaic law that punishes responsible dog owners and seeks to kill our beloved pets!
For more info:
http://hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/dangerous_dogs.html
www.akc.org/news/sections/legislative_alerts.cfm