UPDATE: 9/16/2009
We need your help West Virginia residents! South Charleston will hold a city council meeting tomorrow, September 17, 2009, to hear changes to provisions of the dangerous dog law. These provisions include classifying dogs seized from dogfighting abuse situations as inherently dangerous dogs. Our Vicktory Dogs have proven to everyone that such discriminatory legislation is an unnecessary label on even the most well-tempered dogs seized from these deplorable conditions.
South Charleston residents: Contact your city council today to ensure these dogs have the same chance as our Vicktory Dogs!
South Charleston, West Virginia, First Reading of Breed Discriminatory Ordinance Passes
Your Action Needed to Prevent Breed Discrimination
To West Virginia Residents
The City of South Charleston has approved a first reading of a breed discriminatory ordinance. The next city council meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. Notably, this ordinance not only regulates pit bull type dogs, but Rottweilers, and Presa Canarios, as well.
The mayor of South Charleston has been quoted as saying he has “…never heard of a Collie, Poodle, or Sheltie killing somebody.”
While Best Friends has no interest in promoting negative views on any breed of dog, there have in fact been deaths by Collies, Border Collies, Shelties, Poodles, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Dachshunds, Pomeranians, and numerous others that are never considered in these breed discriminatory ordinances. (see Karen Delise, Fatal Dog Attacks, The Stories Behind the Statistics, Chart H (2002)).
Contact Mayor Frank Mullens and explain that breed discrimination is an ineffective way protecting the public.
scmayor@cityofsouthcharleston.com
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 City Council Members Today!
Dayton Griffith, Jr.
PO Box 8742
South Charleston, WV 25303
(304) 744-4729
Sonny Holstine
708 Oak Street
South Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 768-7446
Linda L. Anderson
4923 Kanawha Ave. SW
South Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 205-5635
Mr. Jeff Means
# 6 Ashlawn Drive
So. Charleston, WV 25303
Phone: (304) 744-0887
Email: jameans@suddenlink.net
Paul R. Neal
258 Staunton Avenue
South Charleston, WV 25303
(304) 744-2406
Mr. C. Ben Paul
609 Highland Avenue
South Charleston, WV 25303
(304) 744-1844
Kent Rymer
1203 E. Village Drive
South Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 766-6492
Jef Stevens
433 McDonald Avenue
South Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 437-4922
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.
Photograph by Crissa Cook
Posted by Katie Bray, Best Friends Volunteer