Breed bans are insidious.
They hurt ALL dog owners, regardless of breed, and in fact these laws hurt the public health and safety because they utterly fail to prevent dog bites. Breed bans are bad public policy.
Breed bans and other forms of BSL - aka breed-specific legislation - hurt good people and good dogs, but politicians don't seem to care about the facts, do they. Why is that?
Breed-specific legislation is like racial profiling, but for dogs, and punishes them for being the wrong breed (or mix) rather than for deeds. Breed-specific legislation can include:
Breed Bans - Local town councils pass a law making it illegal to own a dog of a certain breed of dog - or any mix of any breed that has been banned. Responsible dog owners who try to keep thier dogs are now violators, and subject to
- Having their dog seized, impounded or killed
- Criminal penalties, large fines and even jail time
- Live underground with their dogs or forced to move
Breed-Specific Insurance Requirements - Local town councils pass or state legislatures pass a law that requires dog owners of specific breeds to obtain high levels of expensive insurance - AND - because most insurance companies may not even write these "required" policies, dog owners are unable to comply. Responsible dog owners who try to keep thier dogs are now violators, and subject to
- Having their dog seized, impounded or killed
- Criminal penalties, large fines and even jail time
- Live underground with their dogs or forced to move
- Make the choice of keeping the dog or keeping the home
Breed-Specific Mandatory Spay-Neuter - Local town councils pass a law that required dog owners of specific breeds to sterlize their animals, which will effectively exterminate the breed.
Breed-Specific Mandatory Microchipping - Local town councils pass a law that requires dog owners of specific breeds to register in a database (just like a sex offender) and mandates microchipping your dog so that you and your data will be tracked by the police.
Breed-specific legislation makes it harder to own, keep, or adopt dogs of a specific breed, mixed breed dogs, or dogs that even just "resemble" targeted breeds.
Each of these types of breed-specific laws or policies fails to keep children and communities safe. Bottom line - BSL hurts good dogs and good owners.
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