[ SHOWGSD-L ] BSL Rome, GA
- From: "Ginger Cleary" <cleary1414@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Showgsd-L@Freelists. Org" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 11:48:57 -0400
-----Original Message-----
There will be a public hearing on Rome, GA revised animal control ordinance
at the Commission's 9/12/06 meeting. A new provision would automatically
label pit bulls or pit bull mix as vicious. Please see an article by Diane
Wagner at http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news743012.html
The article offers a comment link.
Interested citizens of Rome please contact Gail LaBerge at 770-271-7246.
Ginger Cleary, Rome, GA
Proud member GSDCA and Sawnee Mtn Kennel Club
www.rihadin.com
***********************************
This is the letter I have sent to the BOC....
It has been brought to my attention that Board of Commissioners is
considering changes to the Floyd County Animal Control Ordinance. Changes
which would include "breed specific" language against "pit bulls".
To be useful, legislation must be effective, enforceable, economical, and
reasonably fair. Recently, a proposal has been placed before the Floyd
County Board of Commissioners that fails all of these tests. This proposal
is discriminatory, impractical, and unenforceable. Worst of all, it will not
solve the problem. I urge you to vote against it.
The proposal would restrict the ownership of certain types of dogs,
specifically "Pit Bulls". These breeds have been the subject of
irresponsible and sensationalist reporting across the country. The media and
the inexperienced would have you believe that these breeds are vicious and
should be prohibited.
The plain fact is that there is no relationship between the type of the dog
and the number of incidents. If your town has 100 Retrievers and 1 Poodle,
you'll soon learn that the Retrievers are responsible for 100 times as many
incidents as the Poodles. Does this mean that Retrievers are intrinsically
vicious? Of course not.
Taken as a whole,"Pit Bulls" have proven their stability and good canine
citizenry by becoming 'Search & Rescue dogs, Therapy dogs working inside
hospitals, and family companions for years. A five year study published in
the Cincinnati Law Review in 1982, vol. 53, pg 1077, which specifically
considered both Rottweilers and "pit bulls," concluded in part that: -
statistics do not support the assertion that any one breed was dangerous, -
when legislation is focused on the type of dog it fails, because it is ...
unenforceable, confusing, and costly. - focusing legislation on dogs that
are "vicious" distracts attention from the real problem, which is
irresponsible owners.
In light of the studies, the facts, and the discriminatory nature of the
proposed legislation, we urge you to take the following actions:
1. Reject the current proposal, which is contrary to fact and distracts from
the real issue: responsible ownership.
2. Work to establish reasonable guidelines for responsible pet ownership,
and encourage legislation that supports owner responsibility without
reference to specific breeds.
Study after study shows that ANY dog, regardless of breed, will be whatever
its owner makes of it....nothing more, nothing less. Owners can and should
take responsibility for their pets. We suggest that the appropriate policy
is "blame the owner, not the dog." If a dog attacks a person, the law should
treat it as though the owner attacked that person.
There is also the COST of enforcing such regulations. One town in VA
estimated that it cost them $180,000 to enforce breed specific regulations
in the first year of the regulations.
Voting for this proposal as it stands will harm both the law abiding,
responsible dog owners and the victims, but it won't solve anything.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss the issue
further.
Respectfully,
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