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Home » Go Local » Massachusetts » News » UPDATE: No Breed Discriminatory Ordinance in Mashpee, Massachusetts...

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UPDATE: No Breed Discriminatory Ordinance in Mashpee, Massachusetts

October 19, 2009, 8:50PM MT
By Katie Bray, Best Friends Network Volunteer
A proposed breed discriminatory bylaw in Mashpee, Massachusetts, calls for the destruction of newborn puppies...

UPDATE 10/19/2009: THANK YOU MASHPEE RESIDENTS and all who helped defeat the proposed bylaw!  The vote was overwhelmingly against a breed discriminatory ordinance. 

 

UPDATE 10/11/2009: Mashpee residents - VOTE "NO" to the killing of dogs and puppies in Mashpee on October 19th!  The meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Mashpee High School.

 

Learn more about taking a stand against breed discriminatory legislation in Mashpee here.

 

UPDATE 09/12/2009:  In a statement issued by the Board of Selectmen the week of August 31, 2009, the Selectmen unanimously voted against the proposed bylaw, but will still hear the petition at their annual meeting on October 19, 2009.  The bylaw was proposed by a resident in accordance with Mashpee General Law and Bylaw procedure and will be heard at the annual meeting in accordance with the above.

 

Thank you Massachusetts and Mashpee residents for making your voice heard!

 

A New Witch Hunt in Massachusetts

The City of Mashpee will hear an alarming breed discriminatory bylaw at its Annual Town Meeting on October 19, 2009.
 
This disturbing bylaw includes claims that certain breeds have “a strong instinct for dominance” and a prey drive that results in “aggressive pursuit of . . . human children”.  These statements made in Section 1 of the proposed bylaw are reckless and entirely unfounded.  Even more appalling is subparagraph (i) under Section 4 of the proposed bylaw.  It reads:

“In the event [a pit bull type dog has] a litter, the owner or keeper (i) must deliver the puppies to the Town Kennel for destruction. . . .  Any pit bull puppies kept contrary to the provisions of this subsection are subject to immediate impoundment and disposal. . . .”.


Best Friends Animal Society feels compelled to emphasize that the aim of this bylaw is to hunt down all dogs that have the appearance of a certain breed of dog and destroy any offspring.  This bylaw is a representation of misinformed policy-makers and public making panic-induced decisions without consideration of civil liberties and reason.  It takes on a school of thought similar to the witch hunts that took place in Massachusetts over three hundred years ago whereby paranoia and panic is taking over logic and reason.  These assertions and recommendations are counterproductive to ensuring the safety of town residents and are wholly unsupported by any scientific evidence. 

Your Action Needed to Prevent Breed Discrimination



To Massachusetts Residents

We implore Mashpee residents to contact your town representatives regarding this proposal.  Contact information is listed below.

Request More Effective Legislation
Best Friends opposes canine profiling as it does not reduce dog bite incidents nor effectively manage dangerous dogs. Rather than breed-discriminatory restrictions, legislators should mirror good generic dangerous dog/reckless owner laws that have been enacted in Illinois and Minnesota.

Some of these laws include regulations that:
•    Protect innocent dogs and responsible owners.
•    Encourage residents to spay/neuter their pets.
•    Effectively identify and manage truly dangerous dogs.
•    Restrict tethering.
•    Enforce stricter consequences for dog fighting.
•    Prevent reckless owners from having dogs.

1.  Provide your name and address
Legislators want to know that you are one of the people they represent.

2.  Ask for specific action
Ask members to oppose any ordinance that bans or regulates a specific breed of dog.

3.  Give reasons and examples

•    Chose from the list below or share your own. Remember to be always be respectful and avoid being emotional. This is your chance to educate someone about truly effective ways to manage dangerous dogs.

•    It is often difficult for even experts to determine the breed of a dog-particularly with mixed breed dogs.  Click here to find the pit bulls on the web.  Many dogs are misidentified and confiscated simply for their appearance.

•    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 effect whatsoever on reducing dog bites. 

Italy recently revoked its breed ban stating the ban had no scientific justification.

Calgary, Canada has lowest dog bite rates in 25 years
, without enacting BDL.

Contact Town Selectmen and City Representatives Today!

Click on image below to download full size flyer.


City of Mashpee
http://www.ci.mashpee.ma.us/Pages/index

The ordinance will be discussed at the Annual Town Meeting at the Mashpee High School at 7:00 p.m. on October 19, 2009. 


Contact Mashpee Selectmen here!


Mashpee Town Hall, 16 Great Neck Road North, Mashpee, MA 02649
Phone: (508) 539-1400

Board of Selective
bos@ci.mashpee.ma.us


Deborah Dami, Town Clerk
townclerk@ci.mashpee.ma.us

Thank you for taking action for animals!

Additional Information and Resources


Join the Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog campaign to help put an end to breed discrimination.

Learn more about breed bans and dog bite facts at the National Canine Research Council.


Photographs by Crissa Seymour and Katie Bray
Posted by Katie Bray, Best Friends Volunteer




 


Comments
Posted August 26, 2009, 4:21PM by cambridge_rat_mom
I'm from Massachusetts and I'm appalled at this attempted legislation. Ignorance is NOT bliss! Get with the program, Mashpee. Get your facts straight and join the 21st century. Janet from Cambridge
Posted August 27, 2009, 7:15AM by pawsitivepitbulls
I often find myself wondering when will this madness ever end. Legislation such as this is reckless and misguided. I've been keeping a blog of recent dog attacks, and I sure will be forwarding it on to the lawmakers in Mashpee... Ridiculous! http://dogattacksyouneverhearabout.blogspot.com/
Posted August 27, 2009, 9:25AM by Desertponder
This is absurd!! Where on earth do some of these people come up with this insanity?? BSL has to stop!
Posted August 28, 2009, 7:13AM by jjat920
I believe that if this legislation goes through we should also pass legislation to prevent criminals from having offspring --if any are born they should immediatly bring them in for destruction--this sounds absurb so does the enactment for selective breeding--wake up citizens--we need to get involved with the needless and cruel laws that have been passed lately concerning animals(all) and people. jjat920
Posted August 28, 2009, 10:59AM by Seasand07
Madness? Absurd? Its already the law in Canton...since 2007. Its up the the voters in Mashpee to prevent it from becoming law there now. This started as a dispute between neighbors and when one homeowner could not prevent the neighbor from keeping several friendly pit bulls. Since they could not stop it with the present laws, they are trying to change the law.
Posted August 28, 2009, 1:40PM by Grampian
As editor of the national Scottish Terrier Magazine, I am appauld that this dangerous and misguided legislation ever sees the light of day. This is the same misguided and dangerous thought process that led to the Nazis requiring all Jewish persons to register with the German state. This simple minded legislation targets and harms only the honest owners who will comply with the law. Believe me when I say indescriminate breeders, such as Michael Vick was, will not be turning in any dogs for disposal. The problem is not the mindset of the dog it is the mindset of the owners who abuse these dogs to force them to attack and fight. As a popular bumpersticker of a few years ago stated, when guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns. The problem is not the dog it is, as always, irresponsible dog owners. That is what should be banned!
Posted September 02, 2009, 5:43AM by speshalkinca
This proposal is so absurd I hardly know what to say, and yet I feel I want to add to the discussion so how about this: Has anyone in Mashpee (or elsewhere for that matter) done a truly comprehensive study of 'bite incident reports' over say a three year period and proven that in every instance the dog was a pit bull? I'd sure be surprised if it was! But of even more importance, why oh why are we still blaming the breeds and not the owners -- irregardless of breed -- who obviously are not giving their pets the time, exercise, training, love and respect [their individual breed] requires. And on a possibly more "throw away" note: you can own an assault weapon because heaven knows no one has ever been harmed by one of those, but lets start killing the dogs.
Posted September 02, 2009, 5:49AM by speshalkinca
PS: I was only ever nipped by a dog once and it was neither a Pit Bull, a Rotweiller, or a Doberman Pinscher -- remember when "pins" were considered the most dangerous dogs out there? I won't say which breed did nip me, but I can say this, it wasn't the dogs fault. It occurred when I was very young and no one had ever taught me the proper way to behave around dogs. Parents fault, not the dogs'.
Posted October 22, 2009, 6:57AM by dixiesherman
Yeah!!! I/m so glad this didn't pass. Great work all of you.

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