DC’s city council is considering a bill that would ban pit bulls. Not only are these bills an ineffective waste of money (as Baltimore County demonstrated), these bills hurt people, shelters, and dogs.
They hurt the people who love their pit bulls and know what great dogs they are. They hurt the kids who grow up fearing a wonderful dog because their government tellsthem it’s okay to be prejudiced without any acknolwedgment of facts. They hurt the people who are still going to get bit because biting is not about breed, but about temperment, training, and the situation.
They hurt the shelters who end up taking in all the pit bulls who are banned as people try to keep them from being destroyed. The hurt the shelters desperately trying to adopt out wonderful dogs without interference of the worst sort from our goverment.
They hurt the dogs who are American Pit Bull Terriers and are wonderful, loving, and loyal companions. They hurt the dogs who look like but aren’t American Pit Bull Terriers but will be confused for such. They hurt the other dogs who need space in the shelters. They hurt the dogs who love to play with American Pit Bull Terriers. They hurt the pits who will now be bred illegally without socialization or proper medical care. Outlawing something doesn’t eliminate it, it just makes it dangerous and illegal.
The bill has been assigned to the Health Committee and the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary. Here are two links to both committees which contain contact information for the members:
Public Safety
Health
Please contact the members and tell them not to support B 18–0052. Shelters in the DC area do not support this bill and neither should you.
Breed specific legislation has been shown time and again to do nothing to curb bite incidents. It pushes breeders underground and prevents healthy socialization of pit bulls. DC City Council just passed a great aggression act that just needs time to take affect. Don’t sit by and let DC make a great mistake. We’re the nation’s capital, let’s stand against prejudice and profiling. Dogs are individuals and deserve to be judged as such.
Please take action before more dogs and people get hurt by fear turned into law.