Oh great. Another knee-jerk, "feel-good" law that accomplishes nothing. And by the way, one that can't be enforced anyway.

We don't have the money or the personnel to do so; otherwise, we wouldn't have scores of pit bulls roaming loose all over the bad parts of town.

Our stupid city paper had the nerve to publish stories complaining about all the strays. Even quoted a city council member. Never mentioned - NEVER mentioned anything about people abandoning animals or not having them spayed and neutered. As if it were the dogs' choice to be homeless.

We'll never fix this problem until we address the owners. So long as dogfighting is glamorized and dog responsibility is neglected, it will continue.

I have two rescue pit mixes and they are great dogs. The older one in particular is about the sweetest animal we've ever taken in. Good with everything from infants to the elderly.

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I'm a resident of Weatherford, and have already emailed both my state senator and representative telling them that I hope they both act strongly to defeat this bill. Don't know if it will do any good but part of my message was that I will not vote for anyone who is in favor of this type of legislation. There are much better, proven, ways of starting to solve the problem of dog bites and attacks than banning a specific breed or breeds that even some canine experts can't identify with no chance of error.

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I am strictly opposed to this bill. It is just another form of protecting us from ourselves basically. Instead of penalizing the irresponsible owners of these magnificent dogs, it is just easier to ban the dogs. Even my wife is skeptical about this breed, I wanted to adopt one from Best Friends but she did not want me too. I think they are great dogs.

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This is just another way our society is coming under the complete control of a dictatorship government. There are cameras all over the place watching your every move, you can't even smoke outside places in many states and now draconious pet ordinances are being put on LAW BIDING pet owners. This is all about controlling the masses and social engineering. Its very sad that we are losing so many of our freedoms here when we tout ourselves as being the biggest freedom loving country in the world. I am wondering why people just let this happen and seem not to mind being under this dictatorship that has every intention on controlling our every move.

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This is an outrage-anyone who has done their homework knows it is not the breed that makes an aggresive dog but the owner.
They should ban anyone who chains up a a dog, or in any way works to make them aggressive.
If the state of Texas would enforce their own animal cruelty laws it would go along way in stopping these bully's who fight dogs or treat them badly.
A pox on the state government! (and I'm a native of Texas!)

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Most disappointing

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How ridiculous that they would target a dog when there are so many perverts out there running around that will harm or kill our children. Most dogs are made mean by people that delibertly do it for their own gain. Shame onthem. What is better than to know the love and devotion of your dog or dogs. I have 12. I love and care for each one of them like they were my children. I have 63 acres and lovely dog runs and a dog room. I can afford my dogs and I am not a hoarder. They are my second family.

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For the first time in my life I am ashamed to be from Texas....I am constantly amazed by how ignorant we Americans are about animals and nature in general. We are losing our civil liberties too and apparently don't care. We should use the money they are going to waste on DNA tests of innocent people's dogs to promote animal education and charity work. As a proud pit bull owner and former Texan, I would love to send some photos of kids hanging all over my dogs & the dogs snuggling with our cats & rabbitt to the legislators! We don't live in the best neighborhood and my dogs have never bitten anyone. Hearing this enrages me - this country needs to shape up!!

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Ohio is one of the worse states in regards to Pit Bulls. The current law already list them as vicious whether they are or are not. The restrictions on Pit bulls and any pit bull type dog is unreal.

There is also a House Bill 568 which wants to ban any pit bull or pit bull type dog from the state. If this bill passes, all those dogs will be removed from loving families and put down.

I believe all State Legislators need to step back and look at the bigger picture. That not all pit bulls are bad. They need to work on tougher laws against stupid owners instead of against innocent dogs.

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to those in Texas and any other state re:BSL, feel free to use my letter for a quick response to your state's action toward banning specific breeds and just edit it to reflect your state. I live in Ohio, one of the worst for BSL, unfortunately. I wrote this to all OH state Legislators. Good luck, and keep fighting the good fight!!! The dogs need us as their advocates and to speak for them!!!

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I am writing to stress how important it is that you NOT allow breed-specific banning on the Pit Bulls of Ohio.

Please take the time to visit http://www.pbrc.net/ for information on this wonderful breed. The only story ever told about the Pit Bull is a negative one as portrayed in the media. I promise you that you will find the most lovable, intelligent, easily trainable and wonderful pet in a pit bull. Therein lies the problem. You and others responsible for these law-making decisions cannot simply take my word for it.

Only those who have taken the time to educate themselves about the breed, who have gotten to know and love others' pit bulls as pets and former and present owners of these lovable guys or gals can tell you how unfair the stereotypes have been to this dog.

Breed specific legislation is merely a quick, cheap, careless, insufficient "fix." The problem itself is irresponsible owners. Leash laws are not obeyed,there is bad judgement on the part of the owner in different scenarios, proper care and obedience training is not sought for the care of their animals, or the safety of the animal itself is not appreciated. This is about protecting the animals from bad owners, not prohibiting responsible owners from owning a pet (four-legged family member) of their choice.

Dog behavior, good or bad, is not limited to certain breeds.

Firstly, has been shown that communities that ban specific breeds encourage owners to simply find another breed for their illegal purposes (e.g; drugs, protection, fighting, intimidation). Paranoia and prejudices created by these laws keep certain breeds from actively participating in beneficial causes such as drug-sniffing dogs, police dogs, search and rescue dogs, and assistance dogs for the handicapped. Banning specific breeds drives potential "helpers" out of the communities.

Secondly, generalizing a particular breed as a "pit bull" is an error in and of itself. "Pit Bull" is not a Breed but a generic term to describe general characteristics. Essentially, by using this term is racism of dogs and an assumption based on what the dog looks like.

Furthermore, the American Temperament Test Society provides temperament testing around the country for dog breeds, and gives a passing score for the entire breed based on the percentage of passed over failed within total number of the particular breed tested. As of December 2003, the American Pit Bull Terrier has a current passing rate of 83.9%, and the American Staffordshire Terrier passes at 83.2%. In comparison, The Golden Retriever passing rate is 83.2%.

Thirdly, there are many powerful breeds of dogs. Throughout history, dogs have been bred to serve the community with their traits. We can't blame specialized breeds for behaving as they were bred. Specific traits were bred into the dogs and are now part of the breed's character. It's like the digging instinct of many Terriers, the herding behavior in Shelties, the compulsion to run in Greyhounds, etc. Your Pointer may have never spent a day on a real hunt, but he may still point and flush birds as his ancestors did.

The Solution:
Far better than breed-specific bans are strict laws to control aggressive dogs of any breed or mix. Known as generic vicious dog laws, they put restrictions on the ownership of dogs that pose a danger to people, restrictions such as confinement in

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I oppose House Bill (H.B.) 925! Please oppose this bill.
If we let them take away our choice in the pets we have then whats next…our freedom of speech? You’re walking on dangerous ground when little by little we let other people tell us whats best for us…like taking away my 2 wonderful pit bulls when other people are just irresponsible owners is not right. Not every pit bull is bad actually more are good then bad. I truly believe it’s the owners that make them bad. We need to do something about bad owners not the breed. Please don't take my 2 wonderful pretty pitties!

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I sent the following letter to every rep in the state senate (with the exception of 3 that didn't work). The subject on all except to Dutton was: "HB925. Letter sent to sponsor which every representative should read." It took me 3 hours.

Some reps contacted me to tell me that they weren't sponsoring the bill, so I had sent it to them in error. I informed them that even though they weren't sponsoring it, they needed to vote on it, which means that they needed to be informed by reading the letter.

My rep (Jody Laubenberg) and another rep (Eddie Rodriguez) both expressed that they did not believe in any kind of BSL--YEAH!!

LETTER SENT TO ALL TX REPS
Dear Mr. Dutton,

HB 925, which you are sponsoring, is what is known as Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) or Breed Discriminitory Legislation (BDL). I am strongly opposed to any such kind of legislation, in view of the fact that such legislation, wherever it has been passed, has never proved to be effective.

From a study by the CDC in the 1990's, the underlying assumption for such legislation?that Pit Bulls are more dangerous than other breeds in causing death?was found to be unfounded.

From experience at on this continent and abroad with BSL, it has proved to be ineffective: Research about the lack of effectiveness of any BSL which has been passed to date. Research the myths that are being dispelled by the work that has been done with the Michael Vick dogs: One of Michael Vick's dogs is now a therapy dog in California. Two of his dogs are living together in a run in Utah. That California therapy dog is probably much safer to spend time alone in a dining room with a child under 14 than any Chihuahua that I have ever known or was raised with.

So why are you essentially wasting the taxpayer's time and money by sponsoring such a bill? Dogs, like people, should be judged?and legislated against?by their individual temperament, not their breed. There are well established tests that can be given to establish a dog's temperament. Those tests apply to a dog, not a breed.

Two Cairn terriers (wiry, long haired little yippies, never confused as a pit bull) in my Michigan neighborhood killed the Golden Retriever next door to them. The neighbors, being "friends," did not report it. (One of those Cairns went on to bite a neighborhood child, whose mother did report it.) My daughter's dog in another state?a Staffordshire Terrier mix?is the sweetest dog I have ever know, bar none, and I have known a lot of dogs. Your legislation would have done nothing to prevent the two Cairns from wreaking havoc, but would put my daughter's dog under a cloud of suspicion. Surely, as a minority, you recognize the danger of legislating based solely upon external appearances.

In 2006, the American Temperament Testing Society tested various breeds of dogs for temperament, roughly defined as level headedness. You can review the process at the ATTS website. Here are the results:

All Breeds 27,162 tested 81.5% passed
Golden Retriever 687 tested 83.8% passed
Total of "Pit Bulls" 1,124 tested 84.4% passed

Your legislation targets a breed that test better than the "family" golden retriever and better than all breeds in general.

Instead of spending your time and efforts to enact BSL, why don't you go to the Animal Cops in Houston (your neck of the woods) and ask them what bill you could spend your time on to help them catch the bad guys? The bad guys are not people who own a specific breed or mix breed dog, but people who are irresponsible in owning whatever breed of dog they have.

Pit Bulls are bred to be tough and loyal. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of these dogs to train them to fight. If you are successful in eradicating the breed?which is the real eventual intent of any BSL?the dog

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WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE THAT HUMANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ANIMALS THEY OWN.HOW HOW CAN YOU BLAME AN ANIMAL FOR THE ACTIONS OF AN IRRESPONSIBLE HUMAN.IF THE ANIMAL IS NOT TAUGHT TO BEHAVE ,WHAT DO YOU THINK AN ANIMAL WILL DO ? YOU CANNOT HAVE ANY ANIMAL & NOT TEACH IT RULES.PLEASE STOP BLAMING THE ANIMALS.PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS ,ON THE HUMANS.

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I don't live in Texas, but this is silly. It might be a good law to say ANY young child should NEVER be left ALONE with ANY dog, but don't single out one breed, especially such a loving nanny breed!

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This is what happens when people don't participate in THEIR government, when this kind of stupidity gets added to our laws - ultimately wasting our tax dollars.

It's NOT the dogs fault! Gee, where are the bills that oppose IDIOTS?

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I have two pitties my self and strictly oppose this bill! I'm going to write everyone I can to help get this stopped! Heaven forbid it passes because I will move out of country and take every pit bull I can with me.

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this is not fair, pitbulls are amazing dogs, i have a little blue nose pit and he is the love of my life, i would do anything for that dog and he would do anything for me, he loves people and ALL animals, cats, birds, rodents, other dogs, he loves them all, i dont know what i would do with out him! its is not fair to the responsible pitbull owners or to the other amazing pitbulls out there to have to be seperated from there loving families, just because of others mistakes! i am soooooo against anything that wants to bann this wonderful breed

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All people who love animals; especially dogs, and most especially Pit Bulls, Sherperds, Rottweilers, Dobermans and the like need to become involved in fighting BSL. The people who will decide on these legislative efforts are for the most part either mis-informed or un-informed and therefore very mallable, usually to the loudest voice and to date, the loudest voice have been the radicals who fear or hate the breed. If you love these dogs and frankly, your right to own them or even to see them at a show, get involved or one by one, the cities, counties and states will fall to the freverent. Write your legislators with emaiul attachments to intelligent websites that have the facts, not the bull. Call them; donate what you can to organizations fighting BSL. Please, do not sit idlely by and watch this happen.

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WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE THAT HUMANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ANIMALS THEY OWN.HOW HOW CAN YOU BLAME AN ANIMAL FOR THE ACTIONS OF AN IRRESPONSIBLE HUMAN.IF THE ANIMAL IS NOT TAUGHT TO BEHAVE ,WHAT DO YOU THINK AN ANIMAL WILL DO ? YOU CANNOT HAVE ANY ANIMAL & NOT TEACH IT RULES.PLEASE STOP BLAMING THE ANIMALS.PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS ,ON THE HUMANS.

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Humans kill more people every month than dogs kill in ten years time. I say outlaw the rotten humans and leave the innocent dogs alone. Most children are more dangerous than the dogs being targeted so a fair law would be to fine parents for their offspring who are capable of actions far worse than a dog.

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This really makes me sick. As a responsible pit bull owner and a founder of a starting out pit bull only rescue in Dallas, I'm ashamed to actually live here.

I plan on writing every representative in the state and letting them know how I feel about this. If possible, I was also wondering if I could add some of you guys' posts along with the information pack I'm sending. If so, plz email me at pit.rescue@ymail.com with a copy of your post.

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