Please vote no to BSL
- by: Amber LaFleur
- recipient: Urging Gallipolis, Ohio city officials to vote against breed bans
The objection of this petition is to urge the Gallipolis, Oh City Officials to enact laws that will be effectively prevent human harm from dangerous dogs, and at the same time be non-discriminatory.
TO:
Council President: James A. Cozza
City Council Vice-President: Caroll Snowden
City Council Members: Dow Saunders, Jon Lynch, Sam Davis
City Clerk: Annette M. Landers
City Manager: C. Joseph Woodall
City Solicitor: Brent Saunders
from:..Amber LaFleur and The Petition Signers
Dear City Officials:
To be useful, legislation must be effective, enforcible, economical, and reasonably fair. Recently, Gallipolis City Commissioners voted to have legislation prepared by City Solicitor Brent Saunders to ban pit bulls in the city limits, yet this proposal fails all of these tests. This legislation is motivated by fear and lack of relevant knowledge. It is discriminatory, impractical, and unenforcable. Worst of all, it will not solve the problem. I urge you to vote against it.
The proposed bill would restrict the ownership of certain types of dogs, specifically Pit Bulls. For clarification, Pit Bulls actually contain three breeds, The American pit Bull terrier, The Staffordshire Terrier, and The Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These breeds have been the subject of irresponsponsible 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 German Shepherds and 1 Poodle, you'll soon learn that the German Shepherds are responsible for 100 times as many incidents as the Poodles. Does this mean that German Shepherds are intrinsically vicious? Of course not.
Taken as a whole, the "Pit Bull" breeds have proven their stability and good canine citizenry by becoming 'Search & Rescue dogs, Therapy dogs working inside hospitals, professional Herding dogs 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 legislation, which is contrary to fact and distracts from the real issue: irresponsible 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 atacks a person, the law should treat it as though the owner attacked that person.
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.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter
Sign PetitionSign PetitionCouncil President: James A. Cozza
City Council Vice-President: Caroll Snowden
City Council Members: Dow Saunders, Jon Lynch, Sam Davis
City Clerk: Annette M. Landers
City Manager: C. Joseph Woodall
City Solicitor: Brent Saunders
from:..Amber LaFleur and The Petition Signers
Dear City Officials:
To be useful, legislation must be effective, enforcible, economical, and reasonably fair. Recently, Gallipolis City Commissioners voted to have legislation prepared by City Solicitor Brent Saunders to ban pit bulls in the city limits, yet this proposal fails all of these tests. This legislation is motivated by fear and lack of relevant knowledge. It is discriminatory, impractical, and unenforcable. Worst of all, it will not solve the problem. I urge you to vote against it.
The proposed bill would restrict the ownership of certain types of dogs, specifically Pit Bulls. For clarification, Pit Bulls actually contain three breeds, The American pit Bull terrier, The Staffordshire Terrier, and The Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These breeds have been the subject of irresponsponsible 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 German Shepherds and 1 Poodle, you'll soon learn that the German Shepherds are responsible for 100 times as many incidents as the Poodles. Does this mean that German Shepherds are intrinsically vicious? Of course not.
Taken as a whole, the "Pit Bull" breeds have proven their stability and good canine citizenry by becoming 'Search & Rescue dogs, Therapy dogs working inside hospitals, professional Herding dogs 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 legislation, which is contrary to fact and distracts from the real issue: irresponsible 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 atacks a person, the law should treat it as though the owner attacked that person.
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.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter
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