News
Westland, Michigan Repeals Breed Discriminatory Legislation
February 23, 2009, 1:59PM MT
By Cheri Moon
Enacts ordinance to manage dangerous dogs regardless of breed
Enacts ordinance to manage dangerous dogs regardless of breed
By Lynn Ready, Best Friends volunteer
Approximately twenty miles west of Detroit and twenty miles east of Ann Arbor is Westland, Michigan, a city who fought and subsequently repealed breed discriminatory legislation (BDL). This is great news and we hope that other cities will follow suit!
On February 17, 2009, Westland city council determined that there would be no breed discriminatory legislation in the city.
The adoption of ordinance 167-A-5-1 eliminates breed specific designations of vicious and dangerous dogs. Instead, it now requires “vicious and dangerous dogs to be identified via micro-chipping and add(ed) requirements for transporting vicious or dangerous dogs.”
Other Cities Repeal BDL
Westland isn’t the only town that has repealed breed discriminatory laws. Other cities, such as Plymouth, MI; Greenwood, AZ; Oshkosh, WI; Molalla, OR and the state of Montana have also dropped BDL. In addition, the cost to taxpayers can be astronomical. Westland has set a precedent of enacting regulations that can effectively identify and manage truly dangerous dogs.
What You Can Do:
If your city or state has BDL, contact your legislators or council members and ask them to repeal the legislation.
1. Ask for specific action
Remember to be always be respectful and avoid being emotional. This is your chance to educate someone about effective ways to manage truly dangerous dogs. Use the following information or your own words:
A breed specific ordinance will not result in a reduced number of dog bites nor effectively manage truly dangerous dogs. Rather than breed-discriminatory restrictions, (YOUR STATE, CITY, COUNTY) should mirror good generic dangerous dog/reckless owner laws that have been enacted in Illinois and Minnesota.
Some of these laws include regulations that:
• Enforce stricter consequences for dog fighting.
• Encourage residents to spay/neuter their pets.
• Effectively identifies and manages truly dangerous dogs.
• Protect innocent dogs and responsible owners.
• Restrict tethering.
• Prevent reckless owners from having dogs.
2. Give reasons and examples
Chose from the list below or share your own.
• A study conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association concluded that factors beyond a dog's breed affect a dog's tendency to be aggressive
• In 2006, 97 percent of all dog related human fatalities in the United States involved unsterilized canines (National Canine Research Council).
• In Baltimore, Maryland, taxpayers spent an alarming $750,000 towards BDL in 2001.
• Breed profiling often fails. "Pit bull" is not a specific breed. It is a generic term that describes the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier. The physical traits and characteristics of "pit bulls" are shared by approximately twenty-five (25) other breeds.
• Breed discriminatory laws cause unintended hardship to responsible owners of friendly dogs that happen to fall within the regulated breed category.
• Breed-discriminatory laws compromise public safety by requiring officers to enforce regulation on dogs that may or may not be dangerous instead of investing resources into proven, effective tactics that make the community safer.
• A dog is an individual with its own personality. It should be judged on its temperament and not its appearance.
• Studies of pre and post breed ban dog-bite-rates in the United Kingdom and Spain concluded that their pit bull breed ban had no affect whatsoever on reducing dog bites.
• Join the Best Friends Stop BDL Community.
• Consider having Humane Educators or volunteers speak to children and the public about the importance of treating animals kindly.
Stock photo by Clay Myers, Best Friends Staff
Posted by Cheri Moon, Best Friends Staff