Here we go again…today I received email from an animal welfare colleague asking that I sign a petition against a proposed ban on all dogs considered to be from the bully breed category; Ohio HB 568. You can go there now if you like, even before you read any more. Ohio HB 568
How does one legislate compassion, love, morality, or decency? Good question, because this breed is continually persecuted because they are strong, tenacious, and loyal to their owners…they used to be called the babysitter dog. Some have been trained by unscrupulous holders who consider watching animals fight until one is critically injured or dies, a sport. It is barbaric!
Ohio HB 568 proposes that:
- No person shall own, keep, or harbor a dog that belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a Pit Bull dog.
- No later than 90 after the effective date of this bill, a person who owns, keeps, or harbors a Pit Bull dog will be forced to surrender the dog to a dog warden.
- Within 10 days of surrender, the dog will be euthanized.
- If an officer has probable cause to believe that a dog is a Pit Bull, the officer may apply for a search warrant. After obtaining a search warrant, an officer shall seize the dog and transfer the dog to a dog warden, who shall euthanize the dog within 10 days.
You want to kill ME?
This reminds me of the gathering up of all Japanese Americans right after Pearl Harbor and interring them in camps around the country. Talk about profiling!! At least most of the Japanese were eventually released. Arrested Pit Bulls will not enjoy the same luxury. And no one forgets the concentration camps run by Hitler. Is this as far as we’ve come?
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) Massachusetts is discussing something similar with HB 5092. You can read about that bill at Massachusettes HB 5092
Do people in general, and specifically the people who govern, really believe that instituting this type of legislation will really deter this type of behavior? Viscous and violent people remain so, no matter how many laws are passed.
Everyone appears to be aghast at the genocide taking place in Darfur; I certainly am, but how is this any different? Yes, there are many of you out there who don’t consider animals to be equal with man, but both humans and animals are living beings and we both suffer in the same ways. We also respond to love and compassion, food and shelter. We usually will do anything our “parents” ask of us too.
Banning an entire breed of dog is genocide. Are we not more civilized than this in America? And if we’re not then what is the future of the human race?
