The movie "Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero" tells the tale of the most decorated war dog in U.S. history. Thanks to his ability to sniff out mustard gas and hear the whine of artillery shells before his fellow human soldiers could, Stubby saved countless lives during World War I. He was the only military dog ever promoted to sergeant.
It's hard to believe, but today, this hero would likely be turned away from military housing on U.S. Army (and Marine Corps and Air Force) bases. Why? Because Stubby could be considered a pit bull mix, one of several "dangerous" breeds (Staffordshire bull terriers, bull mastiffs, Rhodesian ridgebacks and Doberman pinschers are some of the others) banned from the housing.
After military housing was privatized in 1996, the Residential Communities Initiative (RCI) Privatization Program consortium, consisting of six private companies, was created to develop consistent housing policies. Sadly, those policies included a dog breed ban.
Breed bans and breed-specific legislation (BSL) are unfair because they single out certain types of dogs. There is no evidence that they've increased public safety where they've been enacted. They are opposed by almost every major animal welfare organization.
Members of the military who are bravely serving our country shouldn't have to make the terrible decision of either giving up their beloved dogs or moving to off-base housing. Please sign and share this petition urging the Residential Communities Initiative to drop its unfair breed ban.
