Post by RealPitBull on Sept 4, 2009 8:01:23 GMT -5
www.examiner.com/x-21804-Denver-PetFriendly-Places-Examiner~y2009m9d3-Lets-make-Denver-a-pit-bull-friendly-place--part-II
As you probably are aware, Pit Bulls have been banned in Denver County for quite some time now, and pit bull loving residents have been upset for quite some time. There are countless blogs and articles in support of trashing the ban, and this is another one.
The county of Denver considers a pit bull to be “defined as any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of anyone (1) or more of the above breeds, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds”. [Source: Denver law Sec 8-55.]
So basically, this makes a lot of dogs illegal. The breed ban has forced many residents to either move to a nearby county where they’re legal, or surrender a part of their family. This has created a large number of homeless dogs. Visiting Longmont Humane's website just goes to show the saddening sight of how many pit bull mix breeds are sheltered. Jazzy (pictured) is just one of many in need of a home.
Resident Bridget Barrow has created a petition to remove the ban, stating: “We believe that the ban distracts the attention from the real problem which is irresponsible owners. We encourage Denver to consider alternatives that effectively create a safer community by enforcing training, socializing, animal welfare and dog bite prevention education. There are better ways of handling dog attacks. We encourage Denver to consider alternatives which would encourage responsible ownership. Breed restrictions only cause unnecessary grief by tearing families apart and unconsciously victimizing pit bulls by driving the breed underground and in the hands of dangerous individuals.”
You can add your name to the petition by clicking here.
EDIT: Links should be working now.
I'd also like to say on a personal note that I've worked with dogs for several years in veterinary and kennel settings, and have had the chance to meet dozens of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. I can count the number of aggressive ones on one hand, and also having the chance to interact with the owners, I feel safe saying that it was because of the way they were treating the dog at home.
Since my last article received scores of comments and visits, I’m following up with further information about why Denver should lift the Pit Bull ban.
I don’t believe the ban should be lifted lightly. The headlines do have some truth to them – Pit Bulls can be viscous, and can in fact eat a sleeping babies toes off or maul an elderly woman. But the truth is, so can a Dalmatian. The difference is that Pit Bulls attract a certain type of owner more than any other breed. The type of owner who’s going to beat, taunt, starve, and fight the dog for sport. There’s an image associated with the Pit Bull as a tough, fighting, monster, and that image further perpetrates people making them into monsters. The fact is, any dog can become this way if it lives a life of neglect and abuse. Statistics and headlines are flawed as they rarely take into account the history and home life of the dogs involved in attacks, or whether or not they were provoked. If you’re an abused dog and the neighbor child is poking you in the eyeball with a fork, yeah, you’re going to stop him – Pit Bull or otherwise.
A reader posted a comment on my last article linking to a website that I’d like to share again. Dog attacks you never heard about – an amazing blog delivering current sourced news articles going to show that any breed can be aggressive. Police reports and headlines of GOLDEN RETRIEVERS mauling Pit Bulls, a thirteen year old girl having her ear ripped off by a LAB, a three year old attacked by a HUSKY, and two SAINT BERNARD’S attacking a sixty-seven year old woman to name a few. Also check out Pawsitive Pit Bulls to further educate yourself about the breed.
Personally, in my several years as a veterinary/kennel technician, the breed that always acted most aggressively both towards people and other dogs have always been Standard Poodles! After working with dozens I could still count the number of friendly ones on one hand. As for my own anecdotes, some of the most vicious dogs I’ve ever met were:
- Charlie the Chow (who savagely killed his brother by ripping out his throat)
- Hercules the Pomeranian (who although couldn’t do much damage to my boots, could easily massacre a baby or small dog)
- Freddie the Labradoodle (who was banned from daycare for almost killing a Malamute)
- Gus the Labrador retriever (who ripped off the dew-claw of a boxer while “playing” said the owner)
- And Damien and Fabian, (the demon Poodles from hell that were banned from the kennel and later the hospital after attacking six staff members and countless dogs over the course of a couple months).
Because the Pit Bull ban includes any dog with a large portion of characteristics belonging to a Pit (see last article for segment of Denver law), a lot of dogs are banned in Denver County that aren’t even Pit Bulls. As I stated earlier, the ban should not be lifted lightly, but these dogs do deserve loving homes just as any other dog. In lifting the ban, Denver would merely have to put breeding/selling/adoption restrictions on that ensure Pit Bulls are only cared for by people who can actually care for them and are not going to neglect or abuse them – including engaging them in dog fights.
Stopbsl.com (Breed Specific Legislation), offers some good tips on how you can take action, who, and how to contact your government officials. Unfortunately since the ban is already in place, it’s harder to fight, but I encourage any readers who are passionate about it, to write to Denver’s councilmember’s. Also – teach your kids or any kids in your life about being safe around dogs, and to current Pit Bull owners - please don’t ruin it for others and the lives of countless dogs; train and socialize your pooch.
As you probably are aware, Pit Bulls have been banned in Denver County for quite some time now, and pit bull loving residents have been upset for quite some time. There are countless blogs and articles in support of trashing the ban, and this is another one.
The county of Denver considers a pit bull to be “defined as any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of anyone (1) or more of the above breeds, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds”. [Source: Denver law Sec 8-55.]
So basically, this makes a lot of dogs illegal. The breed ban has forced many residents to either move to a nearby county where they’re legal, or surrender a part of their family. This has created a large number of homeless dogs. Visiting Longmont Humane's website just goes to show the saddening sight of how many pit bull mix breeds are sheltered. Jazzy (pictured) is just one of many in need of a home.
Resident Bridget Barrow has created a petition to remove the ban, stating: “We believe that the ban distracts the attention from the real problem which is irresponsible owners. We encourage Denver to consider alternatives that effectively create a safer community by enforcing training, socializing, animal welfare and dog bite prevention education. There are better ways of handling dog attacks. We encourage Denver to consider alternatives which would encourage responsible ownership. Breed restrictions only cause unnecessary grief by tearing families apart and unconsciously victimizing pit bulls by driving the breed underground and in the hands of dangerous individuals.”
You can add your name to the petition by clicking here.
EDIT: Links should be working now.
I'd also like to say on a personal note that I've worked with dogs for several years in veterinary and kennel settings, and have had the chance to meet dozens of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. I can count the number of aggressive ones on one hand, and also having the chance to interact with the owners, I feel safe saying that it was because of the way they were treating the dog at home.
Since my last article received scores of comments and visits, I’m following up with further information about why Denver should lift the Pit Bull ban.
I don’t believe the ban should be lifted lightly. The headlines do have some truth to them – Pit Bulls can be viscous, and can in fact eat a sleeping babies toes off or maul an elderly woman. But the truth is, so can a Dalmatian. The difference is that Pit Bulls attract a certain type of owner more than any other breed. The type of owner who’s going to beat, taunt, starve, and fight the dog for sport. There’s an image associated with the Pit Bull as a tough, fighting, monster, and that image further perpetrates people making them into monsters. The fact is, any dog can become this way if it lives a life of neglect and abuse. Statistics and headlines are flawed as they rarely take into account the history and home life of the dogs involved in attacks, or whether or not they were provoked. If you’re an abused dog and the neighbor child is poking you in the eyeball with a fork, yeah, you’re going to stop him – Pit Bull or otherwise.
A reader posted a comment on my last article linking to a website that I’d like to share again. Dog attacks you never heard about – an amazing blog delivering current sourced news articles going to show that any breed can be aggressive. Police reports and headlines of GOLDEN RETRIEVERS mauling Pit Bulls, a thirteen year old girl having her ear ripped off by a LAB, a three year old attacked by a HUSKY, and two SAINT BERNARD’S attacking a sixty-seven year old woman to name a few. Also check out Pawsitive Pit Bulls to further educate yourself about the breed.
Personally, in my several years as a veterinary/kennel technician, the breed that always acted most aggressively both towards people and other dogs have always been Standard Poodles! After working with dozens I could still count the number of friendly ones on one hand. As for my own anecdotes, some of the most vicious dogs I’ve ever met were:
- Charlie the Chow (who savagely killed his brother by ripping out his throat)
- Hercules the Pomeranian (who although couldn’t do much damage to my boots, could easily massacre a baby or small dog)
- Freddie the Labradoodle (who was banned from daycare for almost killing a Malamute)
- Gus the Labrador retriever (who ripped off the dew-claw of a boxer while “playing” said the owner)
- And Damien and Fabian, (the demon Poodles from hell that were banned from the kennel and later the hospital after attacking six staff members and countless dogs over the course of a couple months).
Because the Pit Bull ban includes any dog with a large portion of characteristics belonging to a Pit (see last article for segment of Denver law), a lot of dogs are banned in Denver County that aren’t even Pit Bulls. As I stated earlier, the ban should not be lifted lightly, but these dogs do deserve loving homes just as any other dog. In lifting the ban, Denver would merely have to put breeding/selling/adoption restrictions on that ensure Pit Bulls are only cared for by people who can actually care for them and are not going to neglect or abuse them – including engaging them in dog fights.
Stopbsl.com (Breed Specific Legislation), offers some good tips on how you can take action, who, and how to contact your government officials. Unfortunately since the ban is already in place, it’s harder to fight, but I encourage any readers who are passionate about it, to write to Denver’s councilmember’s. Also – teach your kids or any kids in your life about being safe around dogs, and to current Pit Bull owners - please don’t ruin it for others and the lives of countless dogs; train and socialize your pooch.
I look forward to learning much here