SAY NO TO THE PROPOSED BREED BAN IN NEW YORK

The statment has been made that pit bulls are "often a weapon of choice of
drug dealers and gangs seeking to intimidate and terrorize neighborhoods."
Then target the gangs, drug dealers & other irresponsible owners, not the
breed. Besides, criminals would just find another dog to use as
intimidators.                                                  
Councilman Vallone has said that the pit bulls' jaws "lock," which
prevents people from defending themselves, their children or pets from
being hurt. He should check his facts before opening his mouith.         
Fact: The infamous locking jaw is a myth. The American Pit Bull Terrier
and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed
of dog. All dogs are from the same species and none have locking jaws. Dr.
I Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "To the best of our
knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any
meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of
dogs. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to
either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no
foundation in factual data." Furthermore, Dr. Brisbin states, "The few
studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls,
mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size,
their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no
different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence
for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the
structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."
--http://www.austinlostpets.com/kidskorner/2October/pitbull.htm         
There are many more interesting FACTS on that site to combat the
councilman's narrow views.
"There are no killer dogs! Dogs are not born killers nor do they choose to
be killers. What we are seeing in the news with the recent rash of canine
violence is the tragic outcome of humans who own dogs, but do not know how
to properly fulfill the needs of man's best friend.

We can prevent dog attacks by understanding dog psychology. Dog owners,
the public and especially the professionals charged with issues of public
safety can live harmoniously with canines through proper care and
communication with the animals.

I have proven that this is indeed true".

- Cesar Millan
'Pit Bull Facts'

A lot has been said about 'pit bulls'. That they are time bombs. That they
were bred to fight. That they are unreliable.

Before you make up your mind about whether or not a 'pit bull' ban is
justified you owe it to the breeds affected to learn the truth.

Fact: It is true that the 'pit bull' was originally bred to fight - other
dogs. However the dogs lived at home as a family pet in the late 1800s and
lived in the house with the wives and children of the men who fought their
dogs for sport, so they needed to be absolutely reliable around people.
Dogs that showed human aggression were culled - that means they were
euthanized and never bred from. These actions have evolved a unique dog
personality where animal aggression has absolutlely no correlation to
human aggression.

Fact: There are quite a few celebrities who have owned one of the 'pit
bull' breeds that Michael Bryant would ban in Ontario: Ray Romano, Don
Cherry, Fred Astaire, President Roosevelt, Jack Dempsy, Thomas Edison,
Madonna, Michael J Fox, Brad Pitt, Bernadette Peters, Sinbad, Alicia
Silverstone, Linda Blair, Humphrey Bogart, Usher, Mel Brooks, Ann
Bancroft, John Stuart, Jan Michael Vincent, Pink, Kelli Williams, Ken
Howard (Father in Crossing Jordon - his Pit Shadow saved his life),
Malcolm Jamal Warner, Stephan Jenkins, Rosie Perez, Ananda Lewis, Amy Jo
Johnson, Mary Tyler Moore, Steve and Terrie Erwin (the Crocodile Hunter),
Jack Johnson, Bill Berloni (Broadway show dog trainer who has said that
the Pit is the breed of choice for training), Anthony Robbins, Molly
Price, President Woodrow Wilson, Frankie Muniz, AJ Mclean, Barbara Eden,
and even Helen Keller.    _ Courtesy
of:http://www.dogwatch.net/fight_ontario_ban/pit_bull_facts.html

We need to address the REAL issues here, not the myths that Councilman
Vallone is trying to use to support his agenda. Try targeting the people
who are causing the problems.